The Van Ryn and Celak families were on NBC's Today Show Tuesday, promoting their new book "Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope."
On April 26, 2006, a horrible car crash in Grant County, Ind. changed their lives. The Celak family heard the bad news that their daughter Whitney was killed in the crash.
The Van Ryn family stood by the bedside of their daughter Laura as she healed from her massive scars. Laura was bandaged around the face while she laid in the hospital bed.
It took the family five weeks to realize that the patient they visited bedside was not their daughter Laura, but Whitney Celak, who looked a lot like Laura. Both were Taylor University students and due to the obvious mix-up their families became intertwined.
Laura, 22, passed away, while Celak, 18, healed from the accident, which killed three other Taylor University students and a Taylor staff member.
Both families co-authored the book. The story will also be broadcasted on NBC's Dateline show on Friday night.
Taylor University is about 45 miles southwest of Fort Wayne, Ind.
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