Man randomly chose a DNA test kit during a gift exchange — after 38 years, he realized he was living with the wrong parents and they had no idea
When Morrison was 7 years old, his parents got divorced, and he often wished that he had a sibling
For 38 years, Kyle Bylin felt like something about his family didn't quite fit. The feeling was so persistent that when he took a DNA test two years ago, he wasn't entirely surprised to discover that he wasn't biologically related to the family who raised him. What he could never have imagined was the truth behind it: Bylin had been switched at birth with another baby — one of only two babies — born in the same North Dakota hospital on January 26, 1988. Now, almost four decades later, he learned that he and the other baby had gone home with each other's families. The discovery left both families grappling with the lives they had lived, and the lives they could never get back, according to a July 17, 2026, report by ABC News.
All that 'could have been'
Morrison sometimes wonders about the life he might have lived if the switch had never happened. He could have grown up on a North Dakota grain farm instead of becoming a welding inspector in Colorado City. When he was 7 years old, his parents got divorced, and he often wished that he had a sibling. But apart from that, everything was fine. He did well in school, he was loved, and he played sports. “A DNA test is not going to take away 38 years of memories,” he declared.
A life that wasn't supposed to be his
Bylin, on the other hand, always felt like an outsider. Evelyn Newton, the mother who raised him, often wondered why he had dark hair while everyone in their family had light hair. Then about two years ago, he received a DNA test kit as a Christmas gift, which uncovered the long-standing truth. The test led him to a biological aunt on a genealogy platform. When Morrison, the woman's nephew, took the test, the truth dropped like a bombshell. “That’s when my mind was just completely blown,” Bylin said. “We could have never imagined that it was an actual birth switch that occurred.”
Love's not going to change
Newton believes that the test results will never change her love for Bylin, whom she raised as her own son. But she also feels robbed of the life she should have had with her biological son. Today, as the two families grapple with emotional turmoil and what-ifs, the two men have decided to sue Grafton’s Unity Medical Centre over alleged negligence and medical malpractice. With the help of attorney Tim O’Keefe, they have filed a lawsuit against the hospital claiming emotional distress.
The hospital has acknowledged that the babies were switched at some point, but says it has found no evidence that its administration or staff were responsible. Because nearly four decades have passed, the records that could have explained what happened no longer exist, and none of the delivery staff from that time still work there. Meanwhile, Morrison is trying to establish peace with reality, asserting that they can still try to build better relationships. “I mean, it’s not like I can go back in time and rebuild what’s already lost. It’s a work in progress, just like me,” he echoed.
A rare but lasting mistake
Morrison still has the hospital bracelet that identifies him as Kyle Bylin, and lucky for him, Bylin took the DNA test. Although cases like Bylin and Morrison's are extremely rare, the exact frequency of babies being permanently switched at birth is almost impossible to determine. A Cambridge University Press paper noted that researchers can only count cases that are eventually discovered, meaning an unknown number could remain undetected. The paper also noted that newborn misidentification errors do occur in hospitals, although most are detected and corrected quickly. More recently, Dr. Alec Palmerton revealed that in the US alone, half a million babies are at risk of being switched to the wrong parents due to misidentification.
According to medical professionals, prevention is the most effective strategy against baby switch, because, in most cases, the switch goes unnoticed for a long time before the family members become suspicious and make an inquiry via DNA tests. If the switch is detected, scientists can verify it with 99% accuracy using DNA samples from hair, urine, blood, or body tissues.
'Hoping they both grew up in good homes'
The case of Bylin and Morrison unlocked a new fear in the viewers’ minds, especially those who are expecting to deliver a baby in the hospital. @frankee_baby62 commented, “This is why my baby is staying in the room with me. I don't care, she's not leaving my sight. I did this with my other children, too. I don't trust hospitals for this reason!” @holalalo765 reflected, “It’ll be heated. I’m hoping they both grew up in good homes with loving families, but imagine you didn’t have a supportive home and found out you could’ve had a better life; it would be so upsetting.”
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Woman takes a DNA test gifted by her son — learns she was swapped at birth 55 years ago
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