They were swapped at birth: Two women discover their true identities after three decades
After about 35 years of a mistake in a hospital in Austria, two women discovered that they were swapped at birth. The discovery came after a DNA test confirmed that the two women, who were born in the city of Graz in 1990, were raised by each other's families. They recently met for the first time and got to know their real parents.
The two girls were born prematurely at the end of October 1990 and were cared for in incubators instead of staying with their mothers. According to the Kronen Zeitung, it is likely that the switch occurred during that time. After the incident was revealed, the hospital administration changed the procedures — an additional identification bracelet was adopted to be placed on the newborn's foot alongside the usual bracelet on the hand to avoid repeating such an error.
The truth began to unfold for one of the women years ago when she donated blood, only to discover that her blood type did not match her supposed parents, raising suspicions that she was not their biological daughter. Despite the hospital's efforts and a public appeal in 2016, no one was able to identify her real family at that time.
The second woman only learned about the incident recently. During her pregnancy, she discovered that her blood type did not match her parents' records. Through her research, she found the unresolved case of switched babies and then confirmed the truth through a DNA test. She said in an interview with ORF: "I feel like I have had a sister for 35 years; it’s both frightening and beautiful at the same time." The other described the meeting as "an indescribable and very beautiful feeling."
The case also has legal ramifications in addition to its emotional impact. The family that raised the first girl officially adopted her after the mistake was revealed, while the second family is considering doing the same. Authorities are still investigating the legal consequences, especially regarding inheritance rights affected by this medical error that lasted for decades.