{"id":5312,"date":"2026-07-18T18:53:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T18:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/18\/north-dakota-men-who-discover-they-were-switched-as-newborns-sue-hospital\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T18:53:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T18:53:17","slug":"north-dakota-men-who-discover-they-were-switched-as-newborns-sue-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=5312","title":{"rendered":"North Dakota men who discover they were switched as newborns sue hospital"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"c9ab38b1-0d48-4d52-8790-337bef914c73\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Middle-aged man takes selfie of himself with older woman in home, both smiling.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/bc0c6b9a35d50609d5a87da8a343b218965e5424\/336_0_3360_2688\/master\/3360.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">This photo provided by Kyle Bylin shows him with his biological mother, Liz O&#8217;Toole, on 4 April 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.<\/span> Photograph: Kyle Bylin\/AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"c9ab38b1-0d48-4d52-8790-337bef914c73\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">This photo provided by Kyle Bylin shows him with his biological mother, Liz O&#8217;Toole, on 4 April 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.<\/span> Photograph: Kyle Bylin\/AP<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">North Dakota men who discover they were switched as newborns sue hospital<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Kyle Bylin and Jeremy Morrison uncovered the truth after Bylin received an at-home DNA test as a Christmas gift<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">A DNA discovery has led two families to accuse a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/north-dakota\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">North Dakota<\/a> hospital of changing the course of their lives after learning two newborns were allegedly switched at birth nearly four decades ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Kyle Bylin uncovered the truth after receiving an at-home DNA test during a Christmas gift exchange. The test connected him with his biological aunt through a genealogy platform, prompting her nephew, Jeremy Morrison, to take his own DNA test. The results confirmed the two men had been raised by each other\u2019s biological families.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">According to a complaint filed against Unity medical center in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/north-dakota\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">North Dakota<\/a>, Jeremy Morrison and Kyle Bylin were the only babies born at the hospital just hours apart on 28 January 1988.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The lawsuit alleges that, without their parents\u2019 knowledge, the newborns were switched before they left the hospital, with each child being raised by the other\u2019s biological parents. The complaint also names both men\u2019s parents as plaintiffs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThe employees and\/or agents of Unity Medical Center who switched the newborns and then failed to recognize or correct the error were acting within the scope of their employment and\/or agency,\u201d the complaint says, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/men-born-same-hospital-allege-they-were-switched-at-birth-complaint-12020902\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">People<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Unity medical center has reportedly denied responsibility, saying there is no evidence hospital staff caused the switch. However, the hospital doesn\u2019t dispute that the babies were switched at some point.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cWe recognize the profound impact this discovery has had on them and their families,\u201d Unity medical said in a statement to <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/Health\/wireStory\/men-sue-hospital-after-dna-tests-showed-switched-134863553\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">ABC News<\/a>. \u201cUnfortunately, because of the passage of nearly four decades, the medical and staffing records that might have provided additional clarity no longer exist, and no members of the delivery team from that time are still employed by the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Bylin, who was born Jeremy Morrison, says he still has the hospital bracelet that incorrectly identified him as Kyle Bylin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cKyle is still my son \u2013 that is never going to change,\u201d Evelyn Newton, who raised him as her own, told the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/dna-birth-switch-hospital-lawsuit-41e56f62fd6b8bb0afce8afc479ce7a8\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Associated Press<\/a>. \u201cBut I feel robbed of the life I should have had with my biological son. You can\u2019t go back and replace 35 years. First steps, driving a car, getting married \u2013 how do you make up for that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Since learning the truth, Bylin and Morrison have each met their biological parents. They described those reunions to ABC News as \u201cwelcoming but awkward\u201d. While the two men have spoken by phone, they have not yet met in person.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cWe\u2019ve tried to unite as a group and just recognize that no matter what, there\u2019s different ways that this can be socially messy,\u201d Bylin told ABC. \u201cEveryone\u2019s getting to know people that they didn\u2019t know before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Though cases of babies being switched at birth are relatively rare, they happen more than most people might expect. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/dnacenter.com\/blog\/babies-switched-at-birth-should-be-concerned\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">DNA Diagnostics Center<\/a>, up to 18 babies a year may actually go home with families that aren\u2019t their own, although the baby switch is generally caught almost immediately after it happens.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/north-dakota\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">North Dakota<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/society\/hospitals\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Hospitals<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=North%20Dakota%20men%20who%20discover%20they%20were%20switched%20as%20newborns%20sue%20hospital&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/18\/north-dakota-newborns-switched?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fjul%2F18%2Fnorth-dakota-newborns-switched&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/jul\/18\/north-dakota-newborns-switched\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This photo provided by Kyle Bylin shows him with his biological mother, Liz O&#8217;Toole, on 4 April 2025,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":5314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}