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family in the belief that she was their daughter. Meanwhile, Laura was interred in a marked grave at a funeral with 1400 people in attendance. Five weeks passed before incidents arose that caused suspicion about identity: she made comments about things and people that were inconsistent with facts pertaining to Laura, and a university roommate also reported some physical discrepancies. "Laura" confirmed that she was
Whitney Cerak when asked by hospital staff to write down the patient's name, which was then confirmed by dental records. The tragic mixup appeared to have been caused by the similarities of appearance between Cerak and van Ryn, and the confusion at the crash scene. Neither family spoke publicly about the incident for nearly two years.
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and the immediate inability to communicate, led local government officials to misidentify the casualties and the hospital to carry through with the unfortunate action, causing both families to respond in a manner appropriate to the situation of each casualty: Cerak was taken care of by the van Ryn
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on March 25, 2008. The book lists its authors as Don and Susie van Ryn; Newell, Colleen and
Whitney Cerak; and Mark Tabb; the former the parents of Laura van Ryn (the woman believed to have survived the crash but actually deceased) and the latter the parents of Whitney Cerak, initially declared
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piercing (which van Ryn did not have), the patient called herself
Whitney when she emerged from the coma, the patient accused "her" parents of being "false parents", and the patient told "her" sister their parent's names were Newell and Colleen. The van Ryns admitted that their duplicity in
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identified as
Whitney Cerak. A similar looking woman who survived but was unable to communicate was identified as Laura van Ryn. However, after five weeks of hospitalization the identity of the surviving woman began to be questioned. She was found to be Whitney Cerak, not Laura van Ryn.
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interview, it was noted that the van Ryn family suspected for several days something was amiss with the patient before their concerns were shared with the hospital staff: the family noticed the patient's teeth,
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sustaining the misidentification for a month was reinforced by reassurance by the hospital staff of the patient's identity and the distress of the situation.
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Several screen productions since and before the events have featured stories of mistaken identity under similar circumstances:
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Both the identity mixup and the book's release received worldwide media attention. It was the subject of a two-hour episode of
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Some physical similarities existed between the two women, but the severity of the injuries, which included severe
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van carrying nine students and staff members collided with a tractor-trailer being driven by Robert F. Spencer on
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book describing an incident in which the identities of two young female casualties were confused after a
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described as "the go-to guy when a collaborator is needed on books with spiritual themes."
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deceased in the crash but later found to have survived. Mark Tabb is a former pastor whom
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concerning stricter guidelines in the process of identification of bodies by
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Victim of mistaken identity draws faith from it – TODAY: People – MSNBC.com
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321:– a 2008 novel by Jacquelyn Mitchard that draws inspiration from the case
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554:'Mistaken Identity: Two Families One Survivor, Unwavering Hope'
513:"State Representative tries to prevent future identity mix-ups"
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Mistaken
Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
433:"Mistaken identity has family keeping vigil over wrong woman"
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370:"Whitney Cerak, crash survivor in ID mix-up, writes book"
205:. The book was ranked 1st place for two weeks on the
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492:"Summer Study Committee Presents Ideas for Laws"
479:Taylor 'Mistaken Identity' case relived in book
290:Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Justice for All
420:Families speak about switched identity ordeal
215:in 2008. The incident prompted the states of
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48:Don and Susie van Ryn; Newell, Colleen and
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534:"Case of mistaken identity stuns families"
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422:. MSNBC. By Mike Celizic. March 27, 2008.
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536:. USA Today – Theodore Kim. 2006-06-01
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481:. WBBM Newsradio 780. March 28, 2008.
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591:In Loving Memory – Taylor University
556:Gaylord Herald Times. March 1, 2008.
454:"Coma woman mix-up pains US family"
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605:. MSNBC. Retrieved on 2011-06-15.
643:April 13, 2008 – April 20, 2008
390:Garner, Dwight (13 April 2008).
684:Collaborative non-fiction books
277:Fiction resembling the incident
296:And Here's To You, Mrs. Azrael
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601:Celizic, Mike. (2008-03-27)
566:Kim, Theodore (2006-06-01).
199:, and a segment featured on
494:. Indiana House Republicans
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568:"Mistaken ID stuns family"
351:(season 5) ”home and away”
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245:Interstate 69 in Indiana
27:2008 book by Don Van Ryn
679:2008 non-fiction books
456:. BBC News. 2006-06-01
435:. CBC News. 2006-06-01
328:" – a 2012 episode of
310:" – a 2007 episode of
298:" – a 2006 episode of
286:Reunion, and Turnabout
196:The Oprah Winfrey Show
175:. It was published by
319:All We Know Of Heaven
239:On April 26, 2006, a
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341:– a 2013 film with
156:RC1045.P78 M57 2008
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396:The New York Times
345:playing both women
182:The New York Times
167:is a best-selling
31:Mistaken Identity
689:Taylor University
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646:Succeeded by
392:"Inside the List"
372:. Chicago Tribune
349:9-1-1 (TV series)
241:Taylor University
207:adult non-fiction
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16:(Redirected from
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575:. Retrieved
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68:Howard Books
639:Non-Fiction
636:Best Seller
625:David Sheff
402:13 November
313:House, M.D.
263:During the
257:head trauma
225:legislation
169:non-fiction
668:Categories
577:2010-05-24
540:2008-03-20
519:2008-03-29
498:2008-03-29
460:2008-03-29
439:2008-03-29
376:2008-03-29
356:References
223:to pursue
572:USA Today
343:Zoe Kazan
131:191758333
96:Hardcover
65:Publisher
326:Identity
265:Dateline
229:coroners
217:Michigan
57:Language
301:CSI: NY
249:coroner
221:Indiana
94:Print (
60:English
45:Author
308:Alone
270:navel
235:Story
103:Pages
650:Home
404:2010
219:and
125:OCLC
112:ISBN
654:by
631:#1
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