Nurse Gives Woman the Wrong Baby, Then New Mother Turns Pale — Story of the Day

Before we were discharged from the hospital, the nurse took my twins for one last check-up. However, when she came back, my heart stopped for a moment. Instead of bringing back a boy and a girl, as I had given birth to, she returned with two baby girls.

Ross and I had been trying to start a family for a long time. Our excitement was boundless when we learned we were expecting twins, a boy and a girl. But confusion set in right after their first check-up, when Savannah, our nurse, brought us two girls instead. My heart dropped.

"Where has my son gone? What exactly did you do to him? And whose baby is this other girl?" I demanded, unable to hide my shock and fear.

"They are your daughters, ma'am," she replied, not looking away from the documents she held. "I double-checked the reports and I'm confident there is no error."

"Have you lost your mind?" My voice was sharp with disbelief. "I have all the reports as proof that I was supposed to deliver a boy and a girl. I saw them myself after the delivery. There's no way they're both girls!"

Savannah looked scared when she glanced up from her reports. But Dr. Carter entered the room before I could question her further. "Would you please keep quiet, ma'am? This is a hospital, and there are other patients," she said, trying to calm me down.

"Quiet? Seriously?" I asked, outraged. "Your nurse brings me a random child, then tells me she's not wrong! Is that how your hospital administration operates? Do I have to contact the chief doctor and inform him of the situation?"

Ross finally spoke up. "I agree with my wife, doctor. We don't want to create a scene," he said. "But your nurse is lying. We don't know why she's doing that, but if we don't get our son back, we'll have to call the police!"

"Please, sir, calm down," Dr. Carter said, reassuringly. "I'm sure there's just some misunderstanding. Savannah has been working here for several years. Maybe she brought the wrong documents. Savannah, may I have a look at the papers?"

But Savannah hesitated, "There's no need, ma'am...I mean, I checked it, and they're fine."

Dr. Carter shook her head and took the papers in her hands, deciding to check the reports herself. After a moment, she admitted there was a mistake.

"Please give me a minute, ma'am," she said, licking her lips. "I assume Savannah brought the incorrect paperwork. There was another patient named Mrs. Matthews. Her first name is Lucy, too. Savannah must have gotten confused."

"I'm glad you noticed your mistake," I said coldly. "I would recommend that you hire responsible people as staff next time!"

Dr. Carter apologized again and asked Savannah to follow her to correct the mistake. The nurse left with tears in her eyes. Something in my gut told me that the doctor's explanation was not the whole story, so I decided to follow them quietly.

I saw them enter Dr. Carter's office. I heard crying, likely from the nurse. The door was slightly open, so I sat outside and listened.

"What were you thinking, Savannah?" Dr. Carter asked sternly. "Mrs. Matthews delivered twins: a boy and a girl at 10:30 a.m. today. Even the reports said that. Why are you lying to them? Be honest!"

"I didn't have a choice," I overheard Savannah saying between sniffles. "The other newborn girl is my sister's. Her husband left her when he found out she was pregnant, and she didn't survive the delivery. I could've adopted her, but my husband wouldn't agree."

"Why not place her for adoption?" Dr. Carter suggested. "She'd be well cared for."

"It was my sister's dying wish for her daughter to be raised in a loving family," the nurse continued. "Seeing Mrs. Matthews and her husband together this morning, I thought they'd be perfect. So, I swapped their son with my niece, intending to place him for adoption instead."

"That's a crime, Savannah," Dr. Carter responded firmly. "We can't allow this. Bring Mrs. Matthews' son back immediately. And keep this matter confidential. Let's see what I can do to help."

Hearing this, my heart sank, but surprisingly, I wasn't angry. I felt...so much empathy. A little baby girl was now alone in the world and would go into the system before possibly getting adopted.

Although her methods were awful, Savannah hadn't intended harm; she was desperate to fulfill her sister's wish. I couldn't help but feel for the child as I returned to my room.

Shortly after, Dr. Carter brought my newborn son back, apologizing for the mix-up. Knowing the full story, I decided against filing a complaint. Yet, that night, the image of the innocent child haunted me.

"I can't stop thinking about her, Ross," I confessed the next morning. "I dreamt she was living with us, happy and at peace. It might sound crazy, but I can't shake this feeling."

"It's the shock from yesterday," Ross tried to reassure me. "The hormones, too. You just gave birth. Why don't we call your mom to help us?"

"No," I insisted. "I can't bear the thought of leaving her alone in this world. I want to adopt her."

"But we already have two children," Ross protested. "Adding another is a lot. We need to think this through."

"I've thought about it all night, and my mind is made up. Please, can we go to the hospital today and start the adoption process?" I pleaded.

Ross was hesitant but agreed to support me. His reluctance faded the moment he held her; her innocent gaze melted his heart.

"We're thrilled to adopt her," I told the doctor. "We've longed for children, and now that she's come into our lives, we can't turn her away. Please let us know when we can bring her home."

It took some time, but adopting her felt right, especially after we decided to name her Amelia. When we finally brought her home, our family felt complete, and we started raising all our kids as triplets.

Savannah was grateful for our decision and became a close friend, often visiting to spend time with Amelia, and the twins, Sia and Mark.

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If you enjoyed this story, read this one: Three years had passed since I left home, and driven by guilt and curiosity, I decided it was time to see my mom again. What awaited me was a shock: our once cozy house was now a mess, with a stranger lurking around my mother.

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