Two women switched at birth share their ‘heartbreaking’ story
- Replies 3
Jill Lopez and Tina Ennis were born on the same day in 1964 and grew up about two hours away from one another as total strangers. At the age of 55, they discovered they had been switched when they were babies in the hospital.
Now, the women are suing the Oklahoma hospital for alleged recklessness and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
Two women found out they had been switched at birth 57 years by a hospital in the US. Credit: Tina Ennis and Jill Lopez.
It was in 2019 when Tina Ennis took a DNA test at Ancestry.com, an online genealogy company that aims to help a person learn about their family history through historical records, family trees, and DNA testing.
She initially only wanted to track down her estranged grandfather, but what she found instead was a more ‘heartbreaking’ discovery.
Tina’s family history results came back with a list of names she did not recognise, including the names of those who she would later discover were her biological parents – Joyce and John Brister.
Kathryn Jones, the mum who raised Tina, also took the same test. Sure enough, their results did not match.
Devastated after learning that she may have been brought home by the wrong mother, she started looking for people who share the same birth date as her, and that was when she found Jill Lopez – a woman who looked just like Kathryn.
After reaching out and requesting her to take the DNA test as well, Jill’s results came back and confirmed that Kathryn Jones is indeed her biological mum.
Turns out, they were switched at birth by the same hospital in Oklahoma.
And while Kathryn has had the chance to spend some time with her biological daughter Jill, Tina’s biological parents had already died before they could even find out the identity of their biological daughter.
Tina and Jill were raised by the wrong parents before discovering each other in 2019. Credit: Tina Ennis and Jill Lopez.
Now the two women, both 57, and Kathryn are planning to file a lawsuit against the Duncan Regional hospital for the apparent mix-up. The women are suing the hospital for recklessness which caused the two babies to be brought home by the wrong parents over 55 years ago.
Cyndi Crook, the Community Relations Director at Duncan Regional Hospital, has responded to the women’s claims and issued a statement on behalf of the medical establishment.
“It is the practice of Duncan Regional Hospital to not comment publicly on pending litigation. However, in this particular matter, please note that Duncan Regional Hospital is a not-for-profit corporation that did not come into existence until 1976.”
The administration reportedly argues that the hospital that allegedly switched them at birth merged with several other hospitals in 1975, and the current hospital is no longer the same hospital responsible for the mix-up.
And since the doctors and nurses involved in the births of Ennis and Lopez have already passed away, no one really knows how the babies may have been switched.
Last month, the hospital asked to dismiss the lawsuit due to the changed entity but a judge denied the request.
Both families are continuing to process their grief, regret, and anger over the unfortunate incident.
Now, the women are suing the Oklahoma hospital for alleged recklessness and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
Two women found out they had been switched at birth 57 years by a hospital in the US. Credit: Tina Ennis and Jill Lopez.
She initially only wanted to track down her estranged grandfather, but what she found instead was a more ‘heartbreaking’ discovery.
Tina’s family history results came back with a list of names she did not recognise, including the names of those who she would later discover were her biological parents – Joyce and John Brister.
Kathryn Jones, the mum who raised Tina, also took the same test. Sure enough, their results did not match.
Devastated after learning that she may have been brought home by the wrong mother, she started looking for people who share the same birth date as her, and that was when she found Jill Lopez – a woman who looked just like Kathryn.
After reaching out and requesting her to take the DNA test as well, Jill’s results came back and confirmed that Kathryn Jones is indeed her biological mum.
Turns out, they were switched at birth by the same hospital in Oklahoma.
And while Kathryn has had the chance to spend some time with her biological daughter Jill, Tina’s biological parents had already died before they could even find out the identity of their biological daughter.
Tina and Jill were raised by the wrong parents before discovering each other in 2019. Credit: Tina Ennis and Jill Lopez.
Cyndi Crook, the Community Relations Director at Duncan Regional Hospital, has responded to the women’s claims and issued a statement on behalf of the medical establishment.
“It is the practice of Duncan Regional Hospital to not comment publicly on pending litigation. However, in this particular matter, please note that Duncan Regional Hospital is a not-for-profit corporation that did not come into existence until 1976.”
The administration reportedly argues that the hospital that allegedly switched them at birth merged with several other hospitals in 1975, and the current hospital is no longer the same hospital responsible for the mix-up.
And since the doctors and nurses involved in the births of Ennis and Lopez have already passed away, no one really knows how the babies may have been switched.
Last month, the hospital asked to dismiss the lawsuit due to the changed entity but a judge denied the request.
Both families are continuing to process their grief, regret, and anger over the unfortunate incident.
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