We are a black couple and we have a white son

Gabriel is my seventh child, the second with Alexandre. I became pregnant in the first trimester of 2008, and on November 3, I was rushed to the hospital. He was born in the delivery room, and I didn’t see him until five hours later. As he had jaundice, which leaves the baby’s skin yellow, I found his color strange after 15 days.

Hence, the surprise: I am black, my husband is black and so are my six other children. But Gabriel is blond and has blue eyes. It was the beginning of my drama. I had to hear from neighbors and my husband’s family that the child was not his.

They suspected that I had cheated on my husband

Gabriel’s skin was getting whiter every day. I soon suspected that he had been changed in the maternity ward. The color of the baby was very different from mine, Alexandre and my other children. He didn’t look like anyone else in the family either. I decided to go to the hospital and check if something was wrong.

The management of the hospital denied the exchange and presented me with the documentation registered during the delivery. On the baby’s card and on the medical record, my name was written as Alexsandra Simões de Oliveira. I was very nervous and felt a tightness in my heart. One more data that indicated a possible exchange of babies. Hospital officials ruled out the chance that this error had occurred. However, they confessed to changing my name on the medical record.

The way was to ask for a DNA test to prove if I was really Gabriel’s mother. My intuition pointed to a negative result. Even so, they told me that Alexandre and I could have a child with light eyes, because my great-grandfather, my mother and some nieces are white. My mother-in-law also said that her grandmother was Portuguese and had blue eyes.

While the exam result was not ready, I was forced to hear everything. They invented that Gabriel could be the son of another father. My husband’s family said they wouldn’t pay attention to the baby if Alexandre didn’t prove paternity. I’m glad my hubby helped me get over this phase of a lot of gossip. He was always calm and supported me at all times.

The closer the date of disclosure of the result was, the more anxious I became. Even though I wasn’t the biological mother, I had already had the baby for two months. I already loved him so much. Imagine how painful it would be to have to return a baby. Even my other children were already getting used to that little brother at home.

Gabriel brought the family even closer together

Alexandre was more tense than me the day we found out the result. The wait seemed endless… Thank God, the truth came out: Gabriel is really my son. He was not changed in the maternity ward, as I feared.

My husband does not consider a paternity test necessary, but his family insists that this DNA test could be wrong. I know these exams don’t fail. And, more than that, I’m sure of my love for Gabriel and Alexandre.

If one day my husband thinks the exam needs to be done, I will support him, just as he supported me in the fight to be sure that I am the mother of my beautiful baby.

On January 25th, I had a house party to celebrate two birthdays. Yankel, the first child I had with Alexandre, turned 2 on the 22nd. My brother had a birthday the day before him. But the biggest reason for the party was the result of the DNA test. My husband’s family refused to join the party.

I have a clear conscience. Gabriel was an angel sent by God. He will be my last child, and his birth served to improve the relationship between me and Alexandre. I want to move on with life and work hard for him to be a happy child.