View Full Version : Switched At Birth


Nighthawk76
07-12-2009, 05:48 PM
Does anyone remember this case?

It involved two babies. Kimberly Mays and Arlena Twigg, who were born days apart of one another in November of 1978. In August of 1988, Arlena died and a blood test indicated that she was bilogically the child of different parents. Due to a mistake (some same conspiracy), Kimberly and Arlena were swticed at birth and went home with the wrong familes. A television movie called Switched At Birth aired during the spring of 1991 and during the summer of 1993, Kimberly took legal action against the Twigg family so that she could stay with the father who raised her. A couple of years later, Kimberly left her father to go live with the Twigg family. As an adult, Kimberly's life has been just as dramatic as her childhood, when a few years ago she was convicted of abusing her own child.

Yesterday, I picked up a book at the library called The Baby Swap Conspiracy by Loretta Schwatrz- Noble which goes into more detail of what happened than the movie. I think this is one of the saddest events I've ever heard about. Two girls were born in 1978, one dies as a little girl and the other grows up to be mentally unstable.

Chocoholic
07-12-2009, 06:03 PM
I remember hearing about that case. There was another case about 10 years ago where two girls were sent home with the wrong families. I think the parents of one of the girls had died in a car crash or something.

Nighthawk76
07-12-2009, 06:40 PM
A little bit of trivia: In the movie, Kimberly was played by Ariana Richards, who two years later played Lex in Jurassic Park.

ZeldaGilroy
07-12-2009, 07:16 PM
I remember that story. How sad! I watched the movie a long time ago and it was on Lifetime Movie Network not too long ago. I haven't read the book though. The whole situation makes me so sad. :(

catlover79
07-12-2009, 07:38 PM
I don't remember hearing about this story, but it is sad. :(

browneyes106
07-12-2009, 08:45 PM
I remember seeing the movie back when it first aired on NBC. I have seen about ten times on different cable channels. I remember seeing a 20/20 segment on the case and the Twiggs seemed to be very controlling of the whole thing with Kimberely. I haven't seen the miniseries in about two or three but almost everytime after watching I felt really depressed.

InspectorExstead
07-13-2009, 03:06 AM
I remember that story. How sad! I watched the movie a long time ago and it was on Lifetime Movie Network not too long ago. I haven't read the book though. The whole situation makes me so sad. :(

I'm pretty sure I saw it on Lifetime also. The story sounds really familiar. It's just an overall sad situation. I can't imagine what it's like to find out who you thought were your parents aren't your birth parents.

Nighthawk76
07-13-2009, 03:08 AM
Since Kimberly and Arlena were born just a little over two years after me, this has always been a story that has hit really clsoe to home with me. These are girls I could have grown up with.

browneyes106
07-14-2009, 01:46 AM
I sometimes wonder how the situation would have differed if Arlena had been healthy and never died. I read in a magazine article that Twiggs said if Arlena was alive they would have wanted to raise her and Kimberely as sisters. I think if both girls were healthy and happy I think it would have been better that they be raised by the parents who took the home as infants.

Nighthawk76
07-17-2009, 05:22 PM
The last three days I've been reading The Baby Swap Conspiracy and its very intersting but very sad. :( I'm at the part where Arlena just passed away and I feel so bad that this poor little girl, who would be almost 31 if she had lived, never got to grow up. I'm also very greatful that I had the chance to grow up and experience all that I have.

Nighthawk76
07-17-2009, 05:31 PM
In the movie Arlena Twigg was played by Erika Flores who in 1991 appeared in the Star Trek-The Next Generation episode "Disaster" (her characters name was actually Marissa Flores) and the 1992 episode of Step by Step called "Bully For Mark". She later co-starred in the CBS series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Here is a picture of Erika as Arlena and a publicity photo of Erika as Arlena and Ariana Richards as Kimberly.

browneyes106
07-17-2009, 05:42 PM
I will definitely add that book to my reading list. I kind of want to know more about the story.