Switched for 60 Years

Two baby boys were switched at birth in a New Zealand hospital on Christmas Eve, 1946.

A lively, dark-skinned boy who should have been raised a Lebanese Catholic instead grew up in a middle-class Presbyterian home, and a reserved fair-haired Anglo-Saxon lad took his place.

It was almost 60 years before Jim Churchman and Fred George discovered the truth through DNA tests.

The only surviving parent, Helen Churchman, had always wondered about her baby's dark complexion.

But Helen's mother had a darkish complexion, as did some of the cousins. It was also thought that Jim's looks could come from Welsh ancestors.

Fred stood out even more, although his mother, Ngaire, came from Caucasian stock and married into the Lebanese community.

Perhaps Fred's looks came from a Scandinavian ancestor, it was suggested. [Link]