Houston woman reunites with birth mother nearly 40 years after hospital mistake declared her dead
Woman reunites with mother after hospital mistake
Judysbeth Farray has reunited with her mother after 38 years of separation due to a hospital error that wrongly declared her dead at birth.
HOUSTON - Judysbeth Farray has reunited with her mother after 38 years of separation due to a hospital error that wrongly declared her dead at birth.
‘She thought I was dead’
What they're saying:
Judysbeth Farray was born at Jefferson Davis Hospital, where a tragic mistake led to her being separated from her mother at birth. The hospital erroneously declared her dead, leaving her mother to believe she had lost her child.
"I feel like it's a big weight lifted off of me now that I did meet my birth family," Farray said. "The whole time she thought I was dead, and that was wild to me."
The reunion with her birth mother was emotional and took time to fully process.
"It didn't hit me right away. It hit me three days later," Farray explained. "I went to visit them and stayed for about five days."
Throughout her life, Farray wondered why her mother had given up her rights, only to discover that her mother had been misled by the hospital.
"No, she told me that the doctors and the hospital told her that I was dead," Farray recounted. "She said that she had me, and they had to do an emergency surgery."
The hospital's error was part of a broader issue with birth certificate inaccuracies at Jefferson Davis Hospital, which closed in 1989. Reporter Jonathan Mejia first covered these errors on June 19, highlighting cases like Sandra Wardlow, whose birth certificate listed her first name as "Girl."
Since then, Mejia has received dozens of emails from individuals affected by similar mistakes, including Farray's story.
"Separated a mother from her child for 38 years, and all this time she's thinking I'm dead, and I'm thinking she didn't want me," Farray said. "When it was a mishap. A mistake by the hospital."
Efforts to obtain answers have proven difficult due to the hospital's closure.
RELATED: Houston woman fights to legally change her name from "Girl" to Sandra
RELATED: Jefferson Davis Hospital birth certificate errors persist, causing headaches for many
RELATED: More individuals affected by birth certificates mishaps from Houston hospital seek help
How to change your name in Texas, Harris County
FULL interview: How to correct birth certificates
*NOTE: This video was uploaded on June 25* Following FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia's report on incorrect birth certificates issued by the now-closed Jefferson Davis Hospital, more impacted individuals are coming forward to address the issue. Omar Salgado, Bureau Chief of Vital Statistics at the Houston Health Department, explained how affected individuals can rectify these errors.
What you can do:
Omar Salgado, Bureau Chief of Vital Statistics at the Houston Health Department, spoke with FOX 26 about how affected individuals can rectify these errors.
For those whose records are affected, Salgado advised contacting the call center at 832-393-4220.
"We can guide them and make an appointment to review documents before sending them to the state office," he said. "We understand it can be frustrating, but we’re here to assist."
The Houston Health Department is committed to helping individuals navigate the amendment process, ensuring their records are accurate and up-to-date.
If you need to change your name legally, then these are the requirements.
If you need to correct a birth certificate, here is the application.
Another option is going to Harris County Court and getting a court order to officially change your name.
The Source: Reporter Jonathan Mejia spoke with Judysbeth Farray. This report also includes information from previous FOX 26 reports.