2 Women Switched at Birth 37 Years Ago Sue Hospital for RM1.58m in Damages

GUANGZHOU: Two women who were switched at birth 37 years ago grew up only four kilometres (4km) apart before realising that the hospital’s mistake had altered their life paths in different ways, reported the South China Morning Post.

Huang Xiaolin and Li Hui were born 55 minutes apart at Qingyuan People’s Hospital in Guangdong province in October 1989.

After birth, nurses took the babies to their respective mothers for a moment before placing them in the nursery ward, with both wearing identical hospital clothing.

At that time, the hospital’s maternity ward did not use baby identification wristbands, instead relying only on name cards placed inside the swaddling cloth.

The actual cause of the mix‑up, however, remains unknown.

Xiaolin grew up in a well‑off family with her adoptive parents, who worked in the government sector.

She became the first person to seek police assistance to trace her biological family after she began to notice discrepancies in her background.

Prior to that, her adoptive father had noticed that Xiaolin’s blood type was different and that her facial features did not closely resemble the family, leading him to suspect his wife of infidelity.

The couple later divorced when Xiaolin was five years old, and she was subsequently raised by her adoptive mother.

Recalling her childhood, Xiaolin said that her relationship with her adoptive father became strained after the divorce.

In an effort to repair their relationship, Xiaolin underwent a DNA test in 2022, but the test results showed that the two individuals she had always believed to be her biological parents had no biological relation to her.

With police assistance, Xiaolin managed to trace her biological family in April last year before identifying Li Hui as the woman who had been switched with her at birth.

Li Hui, meanwhile, grew up in a family that ran a small grocery store. During primary school, her adoptive father suffered losses after falling victim to an investment scam.

That incident forced the couple to take on various side jobs to support the family’s livelihood.

Li Hui then dropped out of secondary school to help her family, working as a tour guide, hotel receptionist and salesperson.

Years of financial pressure and hardship eventually took a toll on her health, leading to a blood‑related illness and requiring her to undergo surgery to remove her thyroid.

The two women finally met for the first time at a café, describing the meeting as an experience filled with nervousness, excitement and a little awkwardness.

They are now claiming damages totalling 2.6 million yuan (approximately RM1.58 million) from the hospital involved. The case is scheduled to be heard on 13 August.

AGENSI