PART 2
“How did somebody else’s baby end up wearing my wife’s name?”
That answer took longer.
The hospital’s review discovered that during the crowded assessment period, the two newborn girls had accidentally been placed in the wrong bassinets.
Later, replacement identification bands were printed using the information attached to those bassinets instead of staff independently verifying each infant against her mother.
The first mistake created the second.
The identification band hadn’t proven Caleb wrong.
It had simply carried the original error forward.
Before we were discharged, the administrator returned with written confirmation that the hospital had immediately suspended that re-banding procedure.
From then on, replacement infant bands would require verification against the mother and confirmation from a second staff member.
It didn’t erase what had happened.
But at least the mistake wouldn’t disappear behind a simple apology.
Before leaving, Marissa visited our room.
For a moment, neither of us knew what to say.
Then she gave a tired laugh.
“I am never making fun of my mother’s knitting again.”
I laughed too.
“And I’m never teasing Caleb for staring at strange birthmarks.”
Caleb looked offended.
