TX - Parents reunited with infant swapped at birth

[zwiebel]

A Texas couple who traveled to San Salvadore for mom to give birth say their light-skinned baby was swapped for a darker-skinned one.

Mercedes Casanelles, who is from San Salvadore, and her British husband Richard Cushworth say they thought it was strange when doctor Alejandro Guidos kept telling them their baby would be dark-skinned. Casanelles says she recalled her baby being light skinned at birth but was given a drug and when she awoke, noticed her baby was darker but was told it was normal.

Three months later, the couple say they had a dna test which showed the baby wasn't related to either of them. San Salvadore authorities have arrested Dr Guidos.

The couple say they love their baby anyway and if he can't be reunited with his parents they'll continue to raise him.

Photo shows baby at birth.
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/heal...-was-swapped-birth-el-salvador-hospital-video

 

[zwiebel]

Here is a photo of their baby now.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...spital-amid-fears-staff-sold-traffickers.html

 

[KEVINinTO]

I can't understand why they went to El Salvador to have the baby when they lived in Dallas. Just because the mother is from El Salvador why wouldn't she want her baby to have American citizenship and the best medical care?

 

[LolaMoon08]

I can't understand why they went to El Salvador to have the baby when they lived in Dallas. Just because the mother is from El Salvador why wouldn't she want her baby to have American citizenship and the best medical care?

Dual citizenship? Maybe she had family there and wanted to be near them? Maybe they were going to help with the baby for the first few weeks/months as is customary in some cultures? Some cultures, the woman is supposed to wait so long until her body heals and it's customary for family to help in that process.

I am devastated for her and her husband. What a nightmare. I am sure they are worried sick about their biological child who was most likely sold to an American family who wanted to adopt a "light skinned" baby.

It's a truly sick process because light skinned babies sell for more money than darker skinned babies. I feel like if you really want to adopt a child, those things should not matter. Those people who have such preferences when adopting a child are what drives the market and things like this happen.

It's absolutely wonderful that this couple has accepted this angel (who would have probably never been adopted based on skin color), but I hope they are also able to be reconnected with their biological child and raise them as siblings.

ETA: Most likely the darker skinned baby had already been placed up for adoption and the Doctor (obviously working with baby brokers) switched the babies so that the lighter skinned baby would make them more money/easier to sell.

 

[Dogface]

Oh my gosh, how horrific. I'm glad that they found out now, but still have the heart to love this innocent child they were given, I hope they are able to track down where their child went to, and keep both children.

I would love to hear the legal side of things in this. Will they have to legally adopt the baby they have loved all this time? Would there be legal barriers to them doing so? Who and where are the parents of the child that they?

This is why I was so grateful in my hospital where I delivered they are not allowed to take the baby out of the room. They did everything in the room with us. And I was lucky my SO could be there for the entire time.

ETA: as soon as I posted I realized I'm thinking of whoever has their biological child as villains in this, but, I imagine they could be completely clueless to what has happened as well and may have thought they obtained the baby legally and be victims as well.

 

[SophieRose]

They were reunited with their son!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...afficking-ring-finally-reunited-lost-son.html

The father and mother who claimed their baby was swapped at birth and sold to traffickers in El Salvador were last night reunited with their lost son - after investigators tracked down the child by ordering other new mothers to have their babies DNA tested.

 

[LolaMoon08]

They were reunited with their son!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...afficking-ring-finally-reunited-lost-son.html

The father and mother who claimed their baby was swapped at birth and sold to traffickers in El Salvador were last night reunited with their lost son - after investigators tracked down the child by ordering other new mothers to have their babies DNA tested.

Wow!! Goosebumps!! I haven't read the article yet... let me go read.

 

[Dogface]

Wow! So glad that while it was still an awful thing to happen there was no nefarious plan behind it. I still can't imagine what both sets of parents must be feeling...maybe they will keep in touch and be an extended family of sorts and some good can come of this in that form and as well as the hospital becoming MUCH more diligent.

 

[LolaMoon08]

I wonder if the couple who had their baby was the baby's biological parents? It doesn't really say. I am glad that all parents of the boys born on that day came forward. I am hoping this was an accidental (HUGE MISTAKE) swapping... but, I need to know more.

 

[jjenny]

Oh my gosh, how horrific. I'm glad that they found out now, but still have the heart to love this innocent child they were given, I hope they are able to track down where their child went to, and keep both children.

I would love to hear the legal side of things in this. Will they have to legally adopt the baby they have loved all this time? Would there be legal barriers to them doing so? Who and where are the parents of the child that they?

This is why I was so grateful in my hospital where I delivered they are not allowed to take the baby out of the room. They did everything in the room with us. And I was lucky my SO could be there for the entire time.

ETA: as soon as I posted I realized I'm thinking of whoever has their biological child as villains in this, but, I imagine they could be completely clueless to what has happened as well and may have thought they obtained the baby legally and be victims as well.

Sounds like hospital mixed up the children. So they can't keep the child they have been raising, he has bio parents.

 

[jjenny]

I wonder if the couple who had their baby was the baby's biological parents? It doesn't really say. I am glad that all parents of the boys born on that day came forward. I am hoping this was an accidental (HUGE MISTAKE) swapping... but, I need to know more.

Yes, babies were switched at birth (apparently accidentally). So they have been returned to their respective bio parents.

 

[jjenny]

Wow! So glad that while it was still an awful thing to happen there was no nefarious plan behind it. I still can't imagine what both sets of parents must be feeling...maybe they will keep in touch and be an extended family of sorts and some good can come of this in that form and as well as the hospital becoming MUCH more diligent.

At least the children are still so young they won't remember anything. It would be a lot worse if they were older.

 

[KEVINinTO]

DM article updated a few minutes ago with pictures and video of the parents being reunited with their biological baby
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...afficking-ring-finally-reunited-lost-son.html

 

[zwiebel]

It's great news!

Must have been heartbreaking when each set of parents had to hand over the baby that wasn't theirs though. I think it's totally wrong that El Salvador authorities have made the parents sign a gagging order too, before getting their babies back. It's akin to blackmail in such a situation, in my opinion, and gives the impression of a cover up.

 

[zwiebel]

There is a LOT of extra info in that DM article. The hospital had a similar incident before and the couple have had a run of bad luck; Mercedes was shot at in Salvador, Richard's house in Texas burnt down (and neighbours say it was in a terrible, condition) and he struggled with heroin/cocaine addiction before giving up a year ago.

The hospital's reported to be the best private hospital in Salvador and mom is working in the country as a missionary, so I guess that's why she didn't go to a US or UK hospital. Sounds as though she suspects the emergency c-section she underwent was unnecessary too.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-lost-son.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailUK

 

[bessie]

Can someone post a brief recap of facts/events? It would be much appreciated.

 

[rachaellouise]

It was such a nice offer for the couple to be willing to keep and raise the baby they had been raising, though. How kind hearted.


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[LolaMoon08]

It's great news!

Must have been heartbreaking when each set of parents had to hand over the baby that wasn't theirs though. I think it's totally wrong that El Salvador authorities have made the parents sign a gagging order too, before getting their babies back. It's akin to blackmail in such a situation, in my opinion, and gives the impression of a cover up.

This is my opinion. I do believe that this couple's baby was sold to a couple willing to spend a lot of money to "adopt" this baby. I see no other reason for there to be a gag order if all the parents were the biological parents of these baby boys and it was an "accidental" swap. No way! Something illegal was going on.

The statement the doctor made to the mother about how the baby was going to end up with a darker complexion... then she's drugged... and then given a baby not only darker than the one she gave birth to, but the obvious difference in features tells me this was premeditated.

I also question whether or not she needed that C-section and I will even go as far as to say he may have had a hand in her going into premature labor to make the switch possible.

I hope I am wrong, but it's all so shady.

I am overjoyed that they have their baby back, but I can't help but think about the other baby and I hope that he is being taken care of and loved... whether by his bio parents or by what I believe... the adoptive parents.

 

[Inthedetails]

Exciting news! I wasn't expecting this, but am so happy for them. I hope it's a happy ending for the other little baby too.

 

[jjenny]

This is my opinion. I do believe that this couple's baby was sold to a couple willing to spend a lot of money to "adopt" this baby. I see no other reason for there to be a gag order if all the parents were the biological parents of these baby boys and it was an "accidental" swap. No way! Something illegal was going on.

The statement the doctor made to the mother about how the baby was going to end up with a darker complexion... then she's drugged... and then given a baby not only darker than the one she gave birth to, but the obvious difference in features tells me this was premeditated.

I also question whether or not she needed that C-section and I will even go as far as to say he may have had a hand in her going into premature labor to make the switch possible.

I hope I am wrong, but it's all so shady.

I am overjoyed that they have their baby back, but I can't help but think about the other baby and I hope that he is being taken care of and loved... whether by his bio parents or by what I believe... the adoptive parents.

He told her baby will have a darker complexion because Latin genes are dominant. Now that they identified both children, I fail to see what his goal would have been in wanting to switch the children. Clearly the child wasn't sold into trafficking, he was with the other family. It sounds like an accidental mix up to me.