I was switched at birth as a baby and had no idea for years, says Long Lost Family star

A LONG Lost Family star revealed that she was switched at birth as a baby and had no idea for years.

 77-year-old Rosemary Rawlins opened up about her story during Monday night’s instalment of the ITV show.

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Rosemary, who was born in Weymouth hospital, got in touch with the team to try and find her biological family.

After taking a DNA test after her parents died, it was confirmed that she she and her siblings weren’t biologically related.

She was later told by her cousin Nicky that their grandma had an inkling that she had been switched.

Speaking about Rosemary’s birth, Nicky said: “Granny told me the night you were born there was an air raid and the babies were all taken down into the basement because they couldn’t be fitted with gas masks. While the mothers stayed on the ward.

“Granny said when she came to visit the next day she said ‘this isn’t the same baby’.”

The doctors told them that the only thing they could do was give Rosemary up after they had realised what happened, but they didn’t want to.

So the team did the best that they could to find Rosemary’s biological family.

They managed to scout out a woman called Jackie, who was born just three days after Rosemary in the same hospital.

After taking part in a DNA test, it was confirmed that Jackie’s brother Richard was related to Rosemary – confirmed that Rosemary and Jackie were switched.

But unfortunately the news came as a shock to Jackie.

Afte Rosemary met Richard, she said: “I did feel very much for Richard’s sister who is obviously finding this a very tough time and we’ll have to be very slow and very gentle and caring.

“It has been just fantastic. I have got a new brother and I thank him from the bottom of my heart that he was able to do this for me.”

• Long Lost Family airs on ITV

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