I first heard this story two years ago when it originally happened. Before it was national news or on the cover of People or on Dateline or the Today Show or Oprah (set to air this Wednesday). For seven years, I lived in Indiana in the area where the accident happened. The university I attended was very near Taylor University, where both Laura and Whitney were students. Upland is a tiny town with one traffic light and a killer ice cream parlour. I did nursing clinicals in the hospital where the victims were taken. Now, I am an ICU nurse, and I have said some of the same things that the Van Ryn family heard in the hours and days following the accident. I still have friends in the area that have even closer ties to this tragedy. Watching the coverage this week on the news was amazing.

The story remains unbelievable: two women with striking similarities, one dead, the other fighting for her life in the ICU. After five weeks, the families discover the terrible truth that during the confusion in those early morning hours, a grave error was made. Late night phone calls, dental records, a body exhumed. Two sets of parents living one nightmare after another. For me, the most amazing part is the faith of these two families and the honor and glory that is being given to God….right in the middle of the Today Show and Dateline and Oprah.

Together, the two families have written a book: “Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope,” detailing their terrible ordeal. Together, they are telling their stories to the press, showing tremendous strength and faith. And together, they are praising the Lord for all the world to witness. These are amazing people, and they serve an even more AMAZING God!