>>>
>>> ♪
>>> ♪ >>
>>> ♪ >> 2 -- TWO WOMEN, ONE FROM
EAGAN MINNESOTA, AND ONE FROM
HIM AND WISCONSIN, HAVE BEEN
STRANGERS THEIR ENTIRE LIVES.
THEY ARE BONDED BY A MOST
UNUSUAL SITUATION.
UNUSUAL SITUATION. BOYD HOOPER EXPLAINS IN
TONIGHT'S LAND OF 10,000
STORIES.
STORIES.
STORIES. ♪
♪
♪ >>
♪ >> WE
♪ >> WE TAKE OUR PLACE AND OUR
FAMILIES FOR GRANTED.
TRUST THAT IN OUR EARLIEST
DAYS, EVERYTHING WENT JUST
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
RIGHT. BUT WHAT IF IT DID NOT?
WHAT IF YOU FOUND YOURSELF IN
DENISE JENNA SKIS PLACE?
>> Reporter: PEOPLE JUST
AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME THEY GOT
THE RIGHT FAMILY.
>> MY BABY PICTURES.
>> THAT IS DENISE.
GROWING UP MINNESOTAN IN A
LOVING FAMILY.
LOVING FAMILY. >> Reporter: THIS IS ME, MY
SISTER GERALDINE.
SISTER GERALDINE. SURE OF HER PLACE UNTIL AGE 72,
WHEN DENISE, AND ANCESTRY BUFF,
SUBMIT TO DNA FOR TESTING TO
THE WEBSITE 23 AND ME.
>> A BUNCH OF CHANGERS.
I DID NOT MATCH ANYBODY.
>> YOU DID NOT MET YOUR MOTHER.
>> KNOW.
>> KNOW.
>> KNOW. >> WHICH LED DENISE TO CONCLUDE
EITHER THEY MADE A MISTAKE OR
WE WERE SWITCHED AT BIRTH.
>> BUT IF DENISE HAD GROWN UP
IN SOMEONE ELSE'S FAMILY, WHO
HAD GROWN UP IN HERS?
>> THIS IS ME HERE'S DISH HERE.
-- HERE.
-- HERE.
-- HERE. >> THAT WOULD BE LINDA.
>> I DID MY DNA RIGHT AWAY,
BECAUSE I THOUGHT I HAVE TO SEE
THIS ON PAPER.
IT SAYS MAYOR, MOTHER.
>> NOT YOUR MOM.
>> NOT MY MOM.
>> IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
OF DECEMBER 19 1945 AT BETHESDA
HOSPITAL IN ST PAUL, TWO BABY
GIRLS WERE BORN.
DENISE MARY AT 217, AND LINDA
JEAN, 31 MINUTES LATER.
>> YOU GOT SWITCHED.
>> YES WE DID.
>> WHOSE FEET ARE THESE, YOURS
OR MINE?
OR MINE?
OR MINE? >> 472 YEARS, EACH HAS
UNKNOWINGLY WALKED IN THE
OTHER'S FOOTSTEPS.
OTHER'S FOOTSTEPS. >> THERE IS LINDA.
>> LINDA THE REDHEAD IN A
FAMILY OF BLONDES.
>> DENISE IS RIGHT HERE.
IN DENISE THE BLONDE AMONG
BRUNETTE AND RED HEADS.
NOT THE LEAST BIT ATHLETIC.
WHILE HER SIBLINGS EXCELLED.
>> MY SISTER GERALDINE GOT
INDUCTED INTO THE MINNESOTA
SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME.
>> HER DAD PLAYED FOR A TIME
FOR THE ST PAUL SAINTS.
>> SOMETIMES I HAD THAT SENSE
THAT I DID NOT QUITE FIT IN
WITH THEM.
WITH THEM. >> Reporter: I AM NUMBER EIGHT.
>> BUT LOOK WHO WOULD HAVE FIT
IN.
IN.
IN. I
IN. I WOULD HAVE.
>> LINDA, THE ONLY ATHLETE IN
HER FAMILY.
HER FAMILY. SHE PLAYED SOFTBALL INTO HER
50s.
50s.
50s. >>
50s. >> SUDDENLY IT ALL MAKES SENSE.
>> FOR SEVEN DECADES, THEY HAVE
LIVED EACH OTHER'S LIFE.
ANSWERING TO EACH OTHER'S NAME.
>> IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
ANOTHER PERSON.
ANOTHER PERSON. >> OH YEAH.
>> YET NEITHER HAVE AN ANSWER
FOR WHY THIS HAPPENED.
>> WE WILL NEVER KNOW, AND I'M
SURE THE NURSES PROBABLY TOOK
CARE OF US.
>> I KNOW MY MOTHER TOLD ME,
THAT YOU WERE BORN EASILY.
>> I JUST CAUGHT HOW YOU SAID
THAT EASILY.
THAT EASILY. >> I JUST CAUGHT THAT DENISE,
MY MOTHER TOLD ME YOU WERE
BORN.
BORN.
BORN. >>
BORN. >> HI MOTHER, MARIANNE MAYER AT
99 AND IN MEMORY CARE WAS
RETOLD THE STORY EACH VISIT.
BY THE DAUGHTER SHE RAISED AND
THE DAUGHTER TO WHOM SHE GAVE
BIRTH.
BIRTH.
BIRTH. >>
BIRTH. >> NOW YOU HAVE MORE
GRANDCHILDREN.
GRANDCHILDREN. REDHAIRED ONES.
REDHAIRED ONES. >> THE OTHER MOM, RACHELLE
NELSON DIALED -- DIED OF CANCER
AT 42.
AT 42.
AT 42. AT
AT 42. AT 17, LINDA LOST A MOTHER.
AT 72, SHE FOUND ANOTHER.
>> UNBELIEVABLE.
>> UNBELIEVABLE. ♪
♪
♪ >>
♪ >> THE
♪ >> THE FIRST CHAPTER OF OUR
STORIES HAS ALWAYS BEEN WRITTEN
BY OTHERS, BUT CAN WE EVER BE
CERTAIN THERE ARE NO MISSING
PAGES?
PAGES?
PAGES? >>
PAGES? >> ARE YOU GLAD YOU FOUND OUT?
>> I THINK SO.
>> I CONSIDER IT A GIFT.
GOOD THINGS COME OUT OF IT, I
THINK.
THINK.
THINK. >>
THINK. >> AS THEY BEGAN MEETING THE
FAMILIES TO WHICH THEY SHOULD
HAVE BELONGED.
HAVE BELONGED. DENISE AND LINDA NOW SHARE A
MOST UNUSUAL BOND.
>> NEW FRIENDS.
CURRENTLY?
CURRENTLY? >> YOU WOULD PROBABLY FRIENDS
TOO.
TOO.
TOO. BLONDE HAIRED BLUE-EYED
BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
>> WITH THE PERSON WHO HAS BEEN
TENDING TO YOUR FAMILY AND
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. >>
LIFE. >> YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING
TO HAPPEN.
TO HAPPEN. >> BOYD HOOPER, KARE 11,
WOODBURY.
WOODBURY.
WOODBURY. >> BETHESDA IS NOW IN AN ACUTE
CARE HOSPITAL, NO LONGER
DELIVERING BABIES.
DELIVERING BABIES. HOSPITAL SPOKESPERSON SAID THEY
WILL LET THE STORY SPEAK FOR
ITSELF.
ITSELF.
ITSELF. LINDA AND DENISE ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO MEETING MORE FAMILY
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS. A REUNION IS BEING PLANNED FOR
LATER THIS SUMMER, AND BOYD
PLANS TO COME UP DISH CATCH UP
WITH THEM AGAIN THEN.
TWO AMAZING WOMEN WHO HAVE SUCH
BEAUTIFUL OUTLOOKS WHEN LIFE
THROUGH THE -- THROUGH THEM THE
ULTIMATE CURVEBALL.
ULTIMATE CURVEBALL. THEY REMAIN POSITIVE DESPITE
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> HOW OVERWHELMING.
'S BANK WHO HAS NOT KIND OF
THOUGHT THAT FOR A MOMENT OR
ANOTHER FOR A FLEETING MOMENT?