Families speak about switched identity ordeal
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Laura Van Ryn’s family speaks March 27: Her sister, father and mother discuss for the first time how they dealt with their tragic and painful ordeal. Today show |
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Whitney Cerak’s family speaks March 27: Her sister and parents talk about the moment they found out that Whitney was in fact alive. Today show |
Lisa then asked the names of her parents, and the answer was Newell and Colleen, names Laura could not have known. She gave no sign of surprise or shock. Instead, she told Whitney, “That’s great. You’re doing really well.”
When Whitney was back in her room, Lisa started making phone calls. Even two years later, her mother was unable to find a single word to describe what she felt when she learned the truth.
Don Van Ryn is able to put it in perspective. “She was one of five, Matt, and we’re very cognizant that there were four other families that suffered as well, and we became one of those,” he told Lauer.
As people of faith, didn’t they ever ask, “How can God allow this to happen?”
“Not so much,” Don Van Ryn replied. “Over the years, God has shown himself to us, and we kind of know his character. We know that bad things happen to good people. We believe that God is sovereign, and he takes an active part in our lives, and even in sorrow there is joy.”
While the Van Ryns were coming to grips with the knowledge that the woman they thought was their daughter was really Whitney Cerak, Whitney’s family, alerted at 2 in the morning, was having a hard time believing that she might be alive.
Carly and her mother drove down to the rehab center in Grand Rapids, Mich., with Carly insisting that they would not find Whitney when they went inside. Newell was on another mission, this time to New York, and also had a hard time grasping the idea that a life that had been lost had suddenly been found.
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Colleen and Carly walked in the room, which was dim.
“I could tell it was Whitney right away,” said Colleen.
Carly fell on her sister, hugging her and crying and ignoring the nurses who were objecting to the breach of the nighttime peace. Carly ignored the nurses. She had her sister back.
Colleen called Newell and told him, “It’s really her.”
She put the phone to Whitney’s ear so she could hear her father’s voice. And in a whisper, she spoke into the phone: “I love you, Dad.”
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