Ep 10. Switched at Birth, or Stolen?

Switched at Birth, or Stolen? is a gripping episode of ABC's 20/20 that explores the heart-wrenching true story of two women who discovered, 41 years after their births, that they were switched at birth.

The episode takes viewers back to 1975 when two newborn babies were mistakenly switched at the St. Joseph's Hospital in Breese, Illinois. The two families, the Millers and the Manz, were completely unaware of the switch and raised each other's biological daughter as their own. Neither family ever suspected anything was amiss, even though one of the girls, Kimberly Mays, suffered from a life-threatening heart condition that should have been passed down from her biological family.

It wasn't until 1989 when Kimberly's birth mother, Ernestine, discovered the swap that the families learned the shocking truth. As the families came to terms with the reality of the situation, they were forced to deal with the emotions of losing the child they thought was theirs and being reunited with the child they never knew.

The episode follows the journey of the families as they navigate through the legal system to gain custody of their biological daughters. The courts ultimately decide to award custody of the second-born child to her biological family, leaving Kimberly Mays to remain with the family who had raised her.

As the years passed by, the girls struggled to come to terms with their identities and the loss of the lives they would have had if they had not been switched at birth. ABC's 20/20 interviews both women, who reflect on their experiences and how they have coped with the situation.

Throughout the episode, viewers are given a glimpse into the lives of the two families as they try to reconcile what happened and find a way to move forward. They discuss the impact the switch had on their families, and the emotional toll it took on their relationships with their children.

Switched at Birth, or Stolen? is a somber yet enlightening episode that forces viewers to consider the intense and life-long effects of being switched at birth. It is a reminder of the fragility of life and how one mistake can have a lasting impact on multiple lives.