Taylor university student whitney cerak, then 18, was the lone survivor of an april 26, 2006, crash that killed four of her classmates and a school staffer. For five weeks, van ryn s parents sat by the hospital bed of the young lady they assumed was their daughter. Discover how their faith in god helped these families and the lone survivor heal from an. Forming a backdrop to the reunion are the faces of the van ryn family, strangers to the ceraks, who are just coming to terms with the harsh reality that the girl whose bedside they have been posted at for five weeks is not their daughter after all and that their own daughter, laura, has already been buried under the name of whitney cerak. Whitney cerak and laura van ryn both went to the same college and both were in a fatal accident on a school trip. A twist of fate after a college trip ended in tragedy, a young survivor was cared for by a family that began to suspect something wasnt right. Sep 10, 2015 cerak and van ryn families scheduled to appear on the today show again.
Whitney cerak marries in the church where her funeral was. This case of mistaken identity began when whitney, laura and seven others from taylor university in indiana were heading home after working at an event 15 miles off campus. Mistaken identity recounts the true story of two college students, laura van ryn and whitney cerak one buried under the wrong name, one in a. Apr 25, 2016 in the chaos that followed, emergency workers at the scene of the crash mixed up the identities of laura van ryn and whitney cerak. Push two families into bitterness, resentment, and guilt. Mistaken identity audiobook by don van ryn, susie van. Apr 27, 2016 upland, ind whitney cerak wheeler says she has no memory of the crash that killed four taylor university students and one university employee. This shocking case of mistaken identity stunned the country and made. Both had blonde hair and similar builds, and van ryns purse was found near cerak at. Im the only person i know whos listened to her own funeral. Whitney cerak, once thought to be dead, living her life the.
Dec 26, 2008 mistaken identity recounts the true story of two college students, laura van ryn and whitney cerak one buried under the wrong name, one in a coma being cared for by the wrong family and. Case of mistaken identity laura and whitney the today show. This shocking case of mistaken identity stunned the country and made national news. Two families, one survivor, unwavering hope 9781439153550 by don van ryn, susie van ryn, newell cerak, colleen cerak.
What made this event so newsworthy is that one college student laura van ryn was assumed to be a survivor. The taylor university students were victims in a van crash that killed one of them. Laura was born to donald kurt and susan kaye vanderschuur van ryn. Laura confirmed that it was whitney cerak that had survived when asked by hospital staff to write down the patients name, which was then confirmed by dental records. Mistaken identity weaves a complex tale of honesty, vulnerability, loss, hope, faith, and love in the face of one of the strangest twists of circumstances imaginable. In 2006, whitney cerak survived a horrific traffic accident that killed four others, but she was mistaken for laura van ryn, one of the fatalities who had strikingly similar looks to whitney. The discovery that the girls had been mistaken for each other changed their families forever. Case of mistaken identity laura and whitney the today.
Whitney s family drove to the hospital and identified their daughter, leaving the van ryn s to plan a memorial service for laura whose body had already been buried during the funeral for whitney. Cerak and van ryn families scheduled to appear on the today. Whitney cerak marries in the church where her funeral was once held. Five lives were lost in a tragic car accident, and the sole survivor was rushed to the hospital, where she remained in a coma for five weeks. Mistaken identity by don van ryn, susie van ryn, newell cerak, colleen cerak, whitney cerak, and mark a. Sep 15, 2015 in 2006, whitney cerak survived a horrific traffic accident that killed four others, but she was mistaken for laura van ryn, one of the fatalities who had strikingly similar looks to whitney. The ceraks buried laura s body because the coroner and apparently vanryns family because they had to make an identification mixed up who was who. A semitruck lost control and barreled across the median and into their van.
In an unusual mixup that has stunned this town south of grand rapids, the authorities said that laura vanryn, 22, had died in the accident and that another student from her college, whitney cerak. Authorities had mixedup cerak with 22yearold laura van ryn, an upperclassman who was killed in the crash. Mistaken identity tells the unprecedented story of laura van ryn and whitney cerak. In an inconceivable mistake, whitney was mistaken for laura van ryn. She had said a couple things that led the van ryns to believe that maybe this wasnt their daughter.
Sep 15, 2015 on today tuesday, wheeler, now a mother of three, was joined by her husband, children and parents along with the family of laura van ryn, the woman who was involved in the mixup that changed both. Weeks after accident, a twist of fate the new york times. I just finished a truly amazing book mistaken identity. Laura and whitney look very similar and after a significant injury with a resulting coma, even. Whitney cerak we, the cerak family, are elated beyond description at whitneys return home. Laura and whitney were both students at taylor university, a christian college in indiana. Jun 03, 2006 in an unusual mixup that has stunned this town south of grand rapids, the authorities said that laura vanryn, 22, had died in the accident and that another student from her college, whitney cerak. Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial.
Apr 28, 2016 they were the family and friends of another student, laura van ryn. Whitney said that the van ryns will always remain an integral part of her life. Five lives were lost in a tragic car accident, and the. Whitney cerak says in mistaken identity book she still asks why she. How a mistaken identity tragedy helped two families find faith. Indiana college student presumed dead in car crash tells. Apr, 2018 meanwhile, van ryn s family surrounded the comatose woman they thought was laura as she slowly recovered in a michigan hospital. We have reason to believe that the girl identified as laura van ryn is, in fact, your daughter whitney cerak. In a tragic case of mistaken identity 10 years ago, cerak and van ryn were wrongly identified in the chaos following a. Meanwhile, van ryn s family surrounded the comatose woman they thought was laura as she slowly recovered in a michigan hospital. Why the boy who was raised as a girl forgave his mother the oprah winfrey show own duration.
They were the family and friends of another student, laura van ryn. Whitney cerak, once thought to be dead, living her life. Apr 28, 2016 taylor university student whitney cerak, then 18, was the lone survivor of an april 26, 2006, crash that killed four of her classmates and a school staffer. Whitney had been very involved in high school where she excelled as a student and as an athlete. Whitney cerak says in mistaken identity book she still asks. Crews removed the body of laura vanryn from a grave marked with the name whitney cerak. Upland, ind whitney cerak wheeler says she has no memory of the crash that killed four taylor university students and one university employee.
May 19, 2008 posts about whitney cerak written by nlblount. Written by don van ryn, susie van ryn, colleen cerak, whitney cerak, newell cerak, audiobook narrated by lillian thayer. But the events that unfolded after a tragic auto accident in 2006 plunged the cerak family of gaylord, michigan and the van ryn family of caledonia, michigan into an absolute nightmare. Whitney cerak we, the cerak family, are elated beyond description at whitney s return home. Whitney cerak says in mistaken identity book she still asks why she survived crash grand rapids there were hints, early on, that laura van ryns family missed. We would like to restate our plans of not speaking to the media. Two families, one survivor, unwavering hope by whitney cerak, don van ryn, susie van ryn and newell cerak 2008, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. A few months ago, on dateline i believe, we watched the story of the van ryn and cerak families. Canada bus crash mixup rekindles pain of taylor university. Fox59 morning news taylor university remembers lives lost, case of mistaken identity on 10year anniversary of crash. She had grown up in the quaint town of gaylord, michigan with her older sister, carly, and parents, newell and colleen. The moment carly heard the coroner say that laura was whitney, she threw down the. A few months ago, on dateline i believe, we watched the story of the van ryn and cerak.
Cerak had survived the crash, but her face was covered by. The girl theyd been taking care of for weeks, the girl they thought was their daughtersisterniece was actually her friend whitney and laura was actually dead. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. She graduated from thornapple kellogg high school in middleville. Two families, one survivor, unwavering hope by whitney cerak, don ryn, colleen cerak, newell cerak and susie van ryn 2009, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Whitney cerak wheeler recalls emotional recovery after. Taylor university handoutepa a lot of people wonder what. Whitney cerak says in mistaken identity book she still. Whitney cerak wheeler recalls emotional recovery after taylor. Sep 21, 2015 why the boy who was raised as a girl forgave his mother the oprah winfrey show own duration. Colleen cerak woke up with a start to the sound of the phone ringing. It is so much more than we ever imagined three months ago. But the van ryn and cerak families, aided by mark tabb, tell the story of how whitney and laura were misidentified and two families dealt with both joy and sorrow with the help of their unerring faith in god.
Van ryn was a student at taylor university in upland, indiana who was killed on interstate 69 while returning to taylor from fort wayne. Five lives were lost in a tragic car accident, and the sole survivor was rushed to the. Apr 26, 2011 the lives of whitney cerek and laura van ryn s families continue to be intertwined five years later. Dec 26, 2008 a twist of fate after a college trip ended in tragedy, a young survivor was cared for by a family that began to suspect something wasnt right. Tabb, is a nonfiction book that illustrates the remarkable events that led to two families coming together. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. Whitney cerak and laura van ryn were fellow students on their way back to taylor university in indiana when they got into a car crash april 26, 2006. Apr 28, 2016 authorities had mixedup cerak with 22yearold laura van ryn, an upperclassman who was killed in the crash. Both had blonde hair and similar builds, and van ryn s purse was found near cerak. When it turned out that the girls had been misidentified, their worlds turned even farther upsidedown.
The lives of whitney cerek and laura van ryn s families continue to be intertwined five years later. Two families, one survivor, unwavering hope don van ryn, susie van ryn, newell cerak, colleen cerak and whitney cerak, with mark tabb in april 2006, a horrific highway accident took the lives of four taylor university students and a staff member, leaving another student presumed to be laura van ryn comatose and in. Mar 26, 2008 the justreleased book quotes survivor whitney cerak. When laura van ryn and whitney cerak were involved in a tragic car accident that left one of them dead and one critically injured, two families were left suspended in a world of grief and anxiety.