Two North Dakota families are pursuing legal action against United Medical Center in Grafton, alleging that hospital staff inadvertently switched their newborn sons on January 26, 1988. The lawsuit claims the mix-up went unnoticed for over 36 years, with the two boys, Kyle Bylin and Jeremy Morrison, raised by the wrong families.
The alleged discovery occurred when a woman, who believed she was Morrison's aunt, took a DNA test for an ancestry website. The results flagged Bylin as her nephew, prompting an investigation that revealed the potential swap.
Morrison stated that he had always felt a sense of not quite belonging within his family, noting a physical difference. "I didn’t have anyone that looked like me in my family," Morrison said. "I was that blonde-haired kid that stood out in a family full of brown-haired people."
He expressed grief over a life and family he never knew, suggesting his path would have been different had he gone home with his biological parents. "I know I definitely wouldn’t be here in Colorado today if I went home with the right parents," he said. "I would have been working the farm with my older brother that I never knew I had."
The lawsuit alleges that Bylin and Morrison were the only boys born at the hospital on that date. The families of both men have met since the discovery, though Morrison and Bylin have not yet met each other.
The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial and requesting damages exceeding $50,000. United Medical Center has denied the lawsuit's claims and filed a motion to dismiss the case. Hospital attorneys argued that their staff exercised appropriate care and skill at the time. They also contended that the lawsuit was filed past the statute of limitations, citing the significant time elapsed since the alleged incident.
In a statement, Unity Medical Center acknowledged the unusual situation and expressed sympathy for the men and their families. The hospital noted that due to the nearly four-decade passage of time, relevant medical and staffing records are no longer available, and no staff members from the delivery team remain employed by the hospital. The center stated that it has found no evidence to support the claims of responsibility by the hospital or its staff.
"As caregivers, our hearts go out to both men and to everyone affected by this difficult situation," the hospital's statement read. "We can only imagine the range of emotions they and their loved ones are experiencing."