Flood of reactions

“Many people called us and cried with us”

Evelin and Josef Grünwald adopted Doris (right). This became necessary when it came to light in 2012 that she was not their biological child. Since then, the couple have been searching for their "real" daughter - and have now found Jessica (left) in the neighboring village of all places.(Bild: Jürgen Fuchs)

On Thursday, a DNA test brought final clarity about the switched babies - and triggered many tears, but also great relief. After the "Krone" revelation, the affected families were overwhelmed by a flood of reactions.

"You will always be our number one." On the same day that the two families in Styria received the clear results of their DNA tests, Monika and Herbert sent this message to their daughter Jessica before going to bed. That was on Thursday.

"Above all, I feel so sorry for my parents," says Jessica B. to the Krone on Friday, the "day after". It is particularly difficult for her to come to terms with the fact that her baby - her everything - was switched after birth and is therefore not her biological daughter.

Forgetting some things in the hectic rush
"After the Krone article, lots of people called us and cried with us," says Jessica. Although we immediately informed those closest to us, we forgot some of them in our own excitement.

Of course, we still had some residual hope that the genetic test wouldn't work after all, that we were wrong.

Jessica B.

The big difference to "the others": Jessica's family only found out recently and therefore barely had time to come to terms with the unbelievable. "Of course, until the end we still had some kind of residual hope that the genetic test wouldn't work after all, that we were wrong," says Jessica. "But that's over now. Now we have to face the facts."

Not just the mothers and their babies, but ....(Bild: Krone KREATIV/privat)

... the fathers felt the same way back then.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/privat)

A head start of 14 years
Change of scene to the Grünwald family. They found out back in 2012 - by chance when donating blood - that their daughter Doris could not be their biological child. The fact that they have a considerable head start in processing this is now clearly noticeable: "I'm doing very well today," says mother Evelin when asked by Krone. "For us, the result definitely means a happy ending. The uncertainty is finally over."

Daughter Doris is not quite so "tidy": the phone was constantly ringing on Friday, "everyone around us knew that we had been looking for our partner for a long time". Nevertheless, she could hardly sleep again last night. "The negative comments on social media are also distressing. Why are people doing this?"

The two daughters agree on one thing in particular: "I'm very happy to have Doris in my life now. It feels like I've suddenly got a sister," says Jessica, who grew up as an only child. "I already have a brother, but the fact that Jessica is now part of my life is a great gift," says Doris, who is also delighted with the unexpected "addition to the family".