SAO PAULO â Two years back, Dimas Aliprandi and Elton Plaster didn't know of each other's existence. Then they learned they had been accidentally switched at birth more than 20 years ago.
The discovery didn't bring bitterness or recrimination. Rather, it led to the creation of a bigger family.
Today, the two 25-year-olds are living and working together with both sets of parents growing vegetables and coffee on a small farm in southeastern Brazil.
The chain of events started with Aliprandi, who was always intrigued that he did not resemble the four sisters he grew up with.
There was something different, he told The Associated Press by phone. I had blonde hair and blue eyes and my sisters had dark hair and eyes.
I had the typical features of a descendent of German immigrants, while my sisters and parents were of Italian stock. Something did not add up
Aliprandi said he was 14 when his suspicions intensified after watching a TV news report on babies getting switched at birth because of mistakes at hospitals.
I told my father of my doubts and that I wanted to do a DNA test. But it was too expensive for the family, he said.
Full story with pictures: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100731/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_brazil_switched_at_birth
The discovery didn't bring bitterness or recrimination. Rather, it led to the creation of a bigger family.
Today, the two 25-year-olds are living and working together with both sets of parents growing vegetables and coffee on a small farm in southeastern Brazil.
The chain of events started with Aliprandi, who was always intrigued that he did not resemble the four sisters he grew up with.
There was something different, he told The Associated Press by phone. I had blonde hair and blue eyes and my sisters had dark hair and eyes.
I had the typical features of a descendent of German immigrants, while my sisters and parents were of Italian stock. Something did not add up
Aliprandi said he was 14 when his suspicions intensified after watching a TV news report on babies getting switched at birth because of mistakes at hospitals.
I told my father of my doubts and that I wanted to do a DNA test. But it was too expensive for the family, he said.
Full story with pictures: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100731/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_brazil_switched_at_birth
