DNA Test Reveals Two North Dakota Babies Were Allegedly Switched at Birth, Families Sue Hospital 36 Years Later

More than three decades after leaving the same hospital as newborns, Jeremy Morrison and Kyle Bylin discovered through direct-to-consumer genetic testing that they had allegedly been switched at birth in 1988. They have now filed a lawsuit against Unity Medical Center in Grafton, North Dakota, claiming the hospital mistakenly sent them home with each other's biological families.

The complaint states that hospital staff accidentally switched them shortly after birth in January 1988. The incident allegedly remained undiscovered for 36 years until consumer DNA testing uncovered the truth, prompting legal action against the hospital. The plaintiffs claim the incident has caused lasting emotional, psychological, and familial harm.

Also see: Gurugram Couple Alleges IVF Mix-Up After DNA Tests Show Twin Girls Are Not Biologically Related

According to court documents, Jeremy Morrison and Kyle Bylin were allegedly the only two babies born at Unity Medical Center on January 26, 1988, just hours apart. Court filings state hospital employees mistakenly exchanged the newborns before discharge, sending each infant home with the other's biological parents.

The lawsuit names Christian Unity Hospital Corporation, doing business as Unity Medical Center, as the defendant. Plaintiffs include Morrison, Bylin, and both sets of parents, who allege the hospital failed to properly identify the newborns before they were discharged.

For more than three decades, neither family suspected that the children they were raising were not biologically theirs.

The decades-old mystery surfaced after Jeremy Morrison, who now lives in Colorado, took a direct-to-consumer DNA test about two years ago, leading to unexpected ancestry matches that ultimately revealed the alleged hospital mix-up.

According to court filings, Morrison's aunt also uploaded her DNA to an ancestry database. Instead of matching with Morrison as expected, the results identified Kyle Bylin as her nephew. The unexpected finding prompted additional genetic testing, which confirmed that Morrison had been raised by a family to whom he was not biologically related.

Speaking to KKTV, Morrison said he had questioned why he looked different from the rest of his family since childhood.

Reflecting on how different his life might have been, Morrison told:

"I know I definitely wouldn't be here in Colorado today if I went home with the right parents. I would have been working the farm with my older brother that I never knew I had."

Following the DNA results, both families learned that the sons they had raised for 36 years were not biologically related to them.

According to the lawsuit and media reports, each set of parents has since met their biological son. However, Jeremy Morrison and Kyle Bylin have not yet met one another publicly.

Morrison said the discovery reshaped his understanding of his identity, family history, and the relationships he had known throughout his life. He also said he hopes sharing their story encourages others who have long questioned their family history to seek answers.

Also see: ‘Nurse’ Kidnaps Baby from Hospital, Held; Police Rescue Six-Month-Old 33 km Away

The plaintiffs are seeking damages exceeding $50,000, along with compensation for emotional distress and other losses. They have also requested a jury trial.

In its legal response, the hospital argued that its staff exercised appropriate professional care and asserted that the claims may be barred by the statute of limitations because nearly four decades have passed since the births. The hospital also raised comparative fault as a potential defense and requested a jury trial.

Although negligence claims are generally subject to statutory filing deadlines, courts may consider when an alleged injury could reasonably have been discovered, depending on the applicable state law and the legal arguments presented by the parties. In this case, the plaintiffs' claims arose only after DNA testing allegedly revealed the switch decades later.¹

In a public statement, Unity Medical Center acknowledged that Morrison and Bylin were born at the facility on the same day in 1988 and recognized the profound emotional impact the situation has had on both families.

However, the hospital said that because nearly four decades have passed, medical and staffing records no longer exist, and none of the staff involved remain employed there. It added that it found no evidence linking the facility or its employees to the alleged switch.

The Walsh County District Court will determine whether the families can pursue damages for the alleged mix-up that remained undiscovered for more than three decades.

References:

1. Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Statute of Limitations. Accessed July 17, 2026. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/statute_of_limitations.

(Rh/ARC/MSM)