Born in the West Midlands in 1967, Jessica and Claire (names used in a BBC documentary to protect their identities) were mistakenly given to the wrong mothers after being placed in a nursery for newborns.
They only realized the mix-up when DNA results revealed unexpected family connections decades later.
The discovery led to emotional upheaval, detailed in the BBC documentary The Gift. One of the women expressed feeling “like an imposter” throughout her life, while one mother shared that her daughter no longer calls her “mum.”
The error came to light after Claire and Jessica’s brother “Tony” took DNA tests, which confirmed they were biological siblings. Confused, they spoke about the results and traced the link back to the same hospital.
While today’s hospitals use RFID tags to prevent such errors, handwritten tags were the norm before the 1980s, allowing for greater potential for mix-ups. Claire’s DNA results had initially shocked her, showing no connection to the family she’d known, while revealing an unknown cousin.
For Tony, the news was equally unsettling, especially as he worried about upsetting his elderly mother. However, Claire felt the results finally explained the lack of resemblance she felt with her family.
Claire was eager to meet her biological mother and felt an instant connection. Recalling a difficult childhood marked by poverty and hunger, she found it challenging to inform the mother who raised her, who passed away earlier this year.
Jessica’s mother, Joan, expressed joy at reconnecting with Claire, seeing it as “gaining a daughter,” but the news was more difficult for Jessica, who no longer calls Joan “mum.” Despite this, Joan emphasized that Jessica would always be her daughter.
While both women are now pursuing compensation from the NHS, Claire is focused on making the most of her time with her biological family, though she acknowledges that nothing can replace the years that were lost.
