Two men discover they were switched at birth 38 years ago, sue North Dakota hospital over lost lives and family bonds
Two men who learned through DNA testing that they were accidentally switched at birth nearly four decades ago are suing a North Dakota hospital, saying the mistake deprived them and their families of the lives they should have had.
Kyle Bylin discovered the shocking truth after taking an at-home DNA test he received during a Christmas gift exchange. The test led him to a biological relative through a genealogy website, eventually connecting him with Jeremy Morrison, whose DNA confirmed the two men had been switched as newborns.
Bylin and Morrison were the only two babies born on Jan. 26, 1988, at Unity Medical Center in Grafton, North Dakota. According to their lawsuit, they were mistakenly sent home with each other’s families shortly after birth.
Bylin, who was born Jeremy Morrison, still has the hospital identification bracelet that incorrectly listed him as Kyle Bylin. The hospital has acknowledged that the switch occurred but said there is no evidence that staff members were responsible. Officials said records from that time are no longer available, and no members of the original delivery team still work at the facility.
The discovery has forced both families to confront decades of questions about what their lives might have looked like if the mistake had never happened.
Evelyn Newton, who raised Bylin, said she still considers him her son but feels the family lost years they can never recover with her biological child. She said milestones such as childhood memories, first steps, driving and weddings cannot be replaced.
Morrison said the revelation has not changed how he feels about the family who raised him. He continues to view Elizabeth O’Toole and Terry Morrison as his parents and said his childhood was filled with love, sports and positive experiences.
Now living in Colorado, Morrison works as a welding inspector in the wind energy industry. He said that without the mix-up, he likely would have grown up on the North Dakota farm where Bylin was raised alongside his biological family.
For Bylin, the discovery changed the way he viewed the differences between himself and the family he grew up with. He said he often wondered why he felt so different from them, only to learn that they were not biologically related.
Both men have since met their biological parents, describing the encounters as emotional and welcoming but also complicated. They have not yet met each other in person but have spoken by phone as they work to navigate their new family connections.
The case is among a small number of birth-switch discoveries uncovered through modern DNA testing. Similar cases have emerged in recent years as at-home genetic testing has made it easier for people to uncover unexpected family histories.
Experts say accidental hospital mix-ups involving newborns are extremely rare today, with electronic medical records and improved identification systems helping prevent such errors.
An attorney representing the families said efforts to reach a settlement with the hospital lasted about a year before the lawsuit was filed, alleging negligence and emotional distress. The families continue to adjust to their new realities while trying to build relationships that began decades later than they should have.
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