David Tait Jr. was born three days after Leon Swanson in the winter of 1975 at the Norway House Indian Hospital in the western Canadian province.
For years, people in the tiny community had gossiped about why the two men didn’t look much like their parents.
The two men say they were devastated after learning that they have been calling the wrong people their family for decades. Tait said at a tearful news conference that he wants answers.
The government believes it’s the second case of being switched at birth to occur at the hospital. Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott said it’s an unfortunate reminder of how urgent the need is to provide Indigenous First Nation people with better health care.
Andrew Mackendrick, a spokesman for Philpott, confirmed the plans for a third-party review. Philpott said she was deeply troubled to learn of the second case and her department has offered the full range of mental and spiritual support.
The department has been working to review files and historical documents from the hospital during the time period in question.
