GRAFTON, N.D. — Two men have sued a North Dakota hospital after DNA testing revealed they were switched at birth nearly four decades ago, alleging the mix-up deprived them and their families of the lives they otherwise would have shared.
The lawsuit, filed in North Dakota state court, names Unity Medical Center in Grafton as the defendant. Plaintiffs Kyle Bylin and Jeremy Morrison allege they were mistakenly sent home with each other's biological parents after they were born at the hospital on Jan. 26, 1988, according to court filings and statements from the families.
The discovery came after Bylin took a consumer DNA test during a family Christmas gift exchange, leading to an unexpected genetic match with Morrison's biological relatives. Morrison subsequently underwent DNA testing, which the families say confirmed the men had been switched shortly after birth. Both men have since met their biological families while maintaining relationships with the parents who raised them.
The lawsuit alleges negligence and seeks damages for emotional distress and other losses stemming from the alleged birth switch. According to the complaint, Bylin and Morrison were the only infants born at the hospital that day, a circumstance the plaintiffs argue supports their claim that the switch occurred at the medical facility.
Unity Medical Center has acknowledged that the men were born at the hospital on the same day but denies there is evidence its employees caused the switch. In a statement cited by multiple media outlets, the hospital said records and personnel from nearly four decades ago are no longer available, making it impossible to determine how the mix-up occurred. The hospital has asked the court to dismiss the claims while expressing sympathy for the families.
Family members have described the discovery as life-altering. Although they said they remain committed to the families who raised them, the men and their relatives have begun establishing relationships with their biological parents and siblings following the DNA findings.
Cases involving babies switched at birth are rare but have become more likely to be uncovered with the widespread use of consumer DNA testing and online genealogy databases. Hospitals now generally rely on electronic identification systems, barcoded wristbands and other security measures designed to prevent newborn identification errors.
The lawsuit remains pending in North Dakota state court, with no trial date announced.
