Two households suing hospital over claims their infants have been swapped at start
A DNA test allegedly exposed that two newborn boys were swapped at birth in 1988, prompting both families to sue the hospital for negligence and emotional distress
Kyle Bylin(Image: WDAY)
Two families are suing a hospital after claiming their new-born babies were swapped at birth 36 years ago.
Jeremy Morrison and Kyle Bylin were reportedly switched at birth at Unity Medical Center in Grafton, North Dakota, USA in 1988. Documents claim the terrible mistake was discovered nearly four decades later, in 2023, when Kyle took a DNA test.
To his shock, the test revealed he was not genetically related to his parents, leading to a search that reportedly uncovered he and Jeremy were switched at birth.
An investigation further confirmed the two men were the only infants born on that date and subsequent clinical tests verified they were exchanged, leading both families to file a lawsuit against the hospital – who have denied liability.
Newborns were allegedly swapped at birth(Image: Google Maps)
“We had all of the family members go into a professional facility locally and do paternity tests and DNA tests to determine who is actually related to whom, and the results were overwhelming that these two, now men, were switched at birth when they were babies,” said Tim O’Keeffe, a partner in the law firm of O’Keeffe O’Brien Lyson Attorneys, who is representing both of the families. The two families, now in contact, have united as co-plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the hospital, suing for negligence and emotional distress.
O’Keefe said, as reported by Inforum: “This is really difficult on everyone involved. Not just the two boys, but their parents and their immediate family.
“Their relationships have been impacted by this. And so there’s a lot of things that need to be addressed by everyone that’s involved in this.
Jeremy Morrison(Image: KKTV)
“They’re part of a small rural community in North Dakota. We want to have trust in our hospitals and our medical personnel that we deal with.
“And there’s a loss of trust there. There’s that unknown of ‘How did this happen?’
“I know the boys have said to me ‘Did this happen to anyone else? Are we the only ones?'”
The complaint was filed July 7 in Walsh County District Court, naming Christian Unity Hospital Corporation, doing business as Unity Medical Center in Grafton, as the defendant. While the plaintiffs allege negligence and seek damages, the hospital has denied liability, citing the passage of time and lack of evidence, Fox News reported.
Legal papers show the complaint, first drafted in October 2024, was officially lodged on July 7 of this year at Walsh County District Court. Both sides have demanded a jury trial, Knox Radio reported.
Unity Medical Center has hit back by seeking dismissal “with prejudice”, meaning the case could not be brought again. The hospital’s lawyers insist staff in 1988 acted with proper care and diligence.
The payout, if any, is not yet known. Court documents say the six plaintiffs – the two men and both sets of parents – are seeking “more than $50,000 (£37,000)” in damages, a standard legal threshold that can still leave room for a much larger award if a jury finds the hospital liable.
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