Now, the ‘other’ parents at the centre of the El Salvador baby swap case have given a heartbreaking insight into their ordeal.
Hearts went out to David Cushworth and Mercy Casanellas when they went public with the story of how their son was swapped at birth, and it was a joyful moment for them when they were reunited with their biological child.
However, the couple who raised the child, Juan Carlos and Joseline Bernal, have opened up about the devastation of waking up with one child and putting another one to bed in the same day.
Admitting that learning to love a different child has been hard, mum Joseline told local media: “It was very difficult for us to do the switch. For us, he was our son. We were with him for the first three months of his life.”
“He was my first son and we cherished every moment. My first experience of breastfeeding was with him. He was everything, our reason to go home at the end of the day…You do everything for your baby; changing nappies, everything, every day, only to find out that he’s not yours, he belongs to someone else. It’s devastating,” she added.
Husband Juan added: “It’s been very tough. We still love the child we raised for three months. It doesn’t mean we don’t love our true son, he’s our flesh and blood. But it has been difficult.”
The doctor at the centre of the baby swap was arrested and released on bail after the families were reunited with their biological sons; he has, however, protested his innocence.
