[INTERVIEW] Kimberly Mays Switched At Birth Talks With Barbara Walters — Life Has Been Hard – Hollywood Life

Switched At Birth Girl, Kimberly Mays, Now 36 & Mom Of Six Reveals Troubled Life

Wow, this is such a sad story! Kimberly Mays made headlines in 1988 when it was discovered that she and another girl, Arlena Twigg had been switched in the hospital just a few days after they were born! Now Kimberly tells Barbara Walters that her life has been very tough and she even has six kids with 4 different men. Kimberly Mays is speaking out about the horrifying incident that took place on Dec. 1, 1978 at Hardee Memorial Hospital in Wauchula, Florida, when she was switched at birth with another baby girl. During Barbara Walters Presents American Scandals on Nov. 30, Kimberly will talk about how difficult her childhood was once she learned her parents were not her biological ones. She opens up about the custody battle that ensued, spending the millions awarded to her by the court after suing the hospital and her struggle with her identity to this day.

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Image Credit: Courtesy of Investigation Discovery

It was discovered that Kimberly and Arlena Twigg, had been switched when Arlena died during open heart surgery when she was 9-years-old. After a blood test, it was revealed that Ernest and Regina Twigg were not Arlena’s parents and they were in fact, Kimberly’s! Kimberly reveals that her father, Robert Mays began to let her get to know her biological parents but it was incredibly difficult. She says that after “crying for an hour” with her dad in her bedroom, they began visitation with Ernest and Regina. But things got tough when they asked to be called “mom and dad” and also wanted to change her name to their late-daughter’s, Arlena.

Around that time, Kimberly’s dad was awarded $6.6 million in a settlement by the hospital and the Twigg’s won a bit more, $7 million. Kimberly tells Barbara that her dad ended the visitation because her grades began to suffer and that’s when the Twigg’s sought full custody of her. But Kimberly, 14 at the time, sued to terminate their parental rights and she won. She reveals in the interview that she began to run away from home and oddly, eventually moved in with the Twigg’s before running away again.

She reveals she married her high school sweetheart at 18, got divorced at 22 and remarried shortly after. Kimberly also has six children of her own with four different men. She also shockingly revealed that she was homeless while pregnant with one of her kids and stopped talking to Robert when he urged her to have an abortion.


HollywoodLifers, this is such an incredibly sad story, we hope this never happens again to other children!