Blonde Girl Looks Nothing like Her Family, Neighbor Calls with Switched-At-Birth Story 56 Years Later

When nurses handed a newborn baby to an excited mother, her joy quickly turned to worry. She had a feeling that something was off, but nobody listened to her.

DeeAnn Angell and Kay Rene Reed were born in Oregon on May 3, 1953. The girls, who shared a birthday, grew up in their respective families and lived happy lives. However, there was a secret regarding their births at Pioneer Memorial Hospital.

Many believe that a mother's instinct is always right, and while this might not always be the case, it certainly was for DeeAnn's mom, Marjorie. She immediately sensed something was wrong when her baby was placed in her arms.

THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED

No one took note of her concerns, and as a result, something unthinkable happened. The truth may never have surfaced if not for an 86-year-old neighbor who reached out to Kay Rene's brother, Bobby Reed, in 2009.

The woman claimed that DeeAnn and Kay Rene were switched at birth and given to the wrong mothers. Bobby was in disbelief but shared the news with his older sisters, who looked at old photos and started to piece together the ordeal.

BOTH WOMEN GREW UP WITH QUESTIONS

One of the sisters told Kay Rene about the suspicions, and she did not oppose it. Growing up as a brunette in a family of blondes, Kay Rene always had questions about why she did not look like the rest of her relatives.

It was the same for DeeAnn, who was blonde and did not resemble her family members. She also had a love for horses that made more sense when she discovered her biological father was a horse trainer.

IT WAS NOT EASY

Hearing such a shocking and life-altering revelation at 56 years old was not easy. Although both women had questioned their appearances growing up, they never imagined that a hospital error would change the trajectory of their lives.

Both sets of parents had passed away, never knowing the whole truth about their daughters. DeeAnn expressed: "It's sad. Just to think I missed out on knowing my own parents."

THEY ARE "SWISTERS"

Kay Rene added: "I look at them [DeeAnn and her family], and I feel like I cheated somebody." The special bond formed between DeeAnn and Kay Rene was a positive outcome of the ordeal.

The women are close and call each other "swisters," short for switched sisters. There will always be some pain attached to their past, but Kay Rene has let go of her anger because she knows it won't change anything.

ANOTHER SET OF BABIES SWITCHED AT BIRTH

Hospital mix-ups happen more than expected, and another set of newborns was switched at birth in 1964, leaving the families to deal with the devastating consequences. An online DNA test was all it took to derail Kathryn Jones's life in 2019.

She discovered that Tina Ennis, the daughter she raised for 55 years, was not hers biologically. Jones was heartbroken but tracked down Jill Lopez, who was suspected to be her daughter—DNA testing quickly confirmed their worst fears.

THEY CAN'T CHANGE THE PAST

Lopez was Jones's child, and the parents who raised her had already passed away, so Ennis would never get to meet her biological mother and father. Despite all the shock and sadness, the families have chosen to build a relationship.

Much like Kay Rene and DeeAnn, they cannot change the past and are trying to move forward and be grateful that they found the truth after all this time.