Two North Dakota men have filed a lawsuit against Unity Medical Center after discovering they were switched at birth nearly four decades ago, because apparently the universe enjoys a good mix-up as much as anyone.

Kyle Bylin, who was born Jeremy Morrison, received an at-home DNA test as a Christmas gift - proving once again that the holidays are a time for family, secrets, and existential crises. The test connected him with his biological aunt via a genealogy platform, prompting her nephew, Jeremy Morrison, to take his own DNA test. The results confirmed what no one had suspected: the two men had been raised by each other's biological families.

According to the complaint, Bylin and Morrison were the only babies born at Unity Medical Center on January 28, 1988, just hours apart. The lawsuit alleges that hospital employees switched the newborns before they left the hospital, and that the error was never corrected. The hospital, however, has denied responsibility, claiming there's no evidence its staff caused the switch - though it doesn't dispute that the babies were swapped at some point. Conveniently, the medical and staffing records from that time no longer exist, and no members of the delivery team are still employed there. Classic.

Bylin still has the hospital bracelet that incorrectly identified him as Kyle Bylin - a keepsake that's less 'precious memory' and more 'exhibit A.' Evelyn Newton, who raised Bylin as her own, told the Associated Press: "Kyle is still my son - that is never going to change. But I feel robbed of the life I should have had with my biological son. You can’t go back and replace 35 years. First steps, driving a car, getting married - how do you make up for that?"

Since learning the truth, Bylin and Morrison have each met their biological parents, describing the reunions as "welcoming but awkward" - which is probably the understatement of the century. The two men have spoken by phone but have yet to meet in person. Bylin noted, "We’ve tried to unite as a group and just recognize that no matter what, there’s different ways that this can be socially messy."

While baby-switching cases are rare, they happen more often than you'd think. According to the DNA Diagnostics Center, up to 18 babies a year may go home with the wrong families - though most are caught almost immediately. For Bylin and Morrison, it only took 35 years, a Christmas gift, and a lawsuit to sort things out.