Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
Encyclopedia
Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope is a best-selling non-fiction
book describing a case where the identities of two young women were confused after a car crash. It was published by Howard Books on March 25 2008. The book lists its authors as Don and Susie Van Ryn; Newell, Colleen and Whitney Cerak
; and Mark Tabb. Don and Susie Van Ryn are the parents of Laura Van Ryn, the girl initially believed to be alive who was actually dead. Newell and Colleen are the parents of Whitney Cerak, the survivor of the crash who was believed to be dead. Mark Tabb is a former pastor whom the New York Times described as "the go-to guy when a collaborator is needed on books with spiritual themes."
On April 26 2006, a Taylor University
van carrying 9 students and staff members collided with a tractor-trailer being driven by Robert F. Spencer on Interstate 69
in Indiana
. Five people riding in the van died in the crash. Elizabeth Smith, Laurel Erb, Bradley Larson, and Monica Felver were killed in the crash, as was a young blonde woman the coroner
identified as Whitney Cerak. A similar looking woman who was in a coma was identified as Laura Van Ryn. The Van Ryn family cared for the woman they believed to be their daughter by keeping a bedside vigil for several weeks. However, five weeks after the crash it was discovered that the surviving woman was not Laura Van Ryn, but instead Whitney Cerak.
The discovery of the mixup after the crash received international attention. The book's release also received great media attention. The book was the subject of a two-hour special on Dateline NBC
, another hour on The Oprah Winfrey Show
, and was also featured on the Today Show. The book was #1 for two weeks on the adult non-fiction
New York Times Best Seller list
in 2008.
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
book describing a case where the identities of two young women were confused after a car crash. It was published by Howard Books on March 25 2008. The book lists its authors as Don and Susie Van Ryn; Newell, Colleen and Whitney Cerak
Whitney Cerak
Whitney Cerak is an American student who was mistakenly identified as another person, following a car accident that killed five people on Interstate 69 in Grant County, Indiana....
; and Mark Tabb. Don and Susie Van Ryn are the parents of Laura Van Ryn, the girl initially believed to be alive who was actually dead. Newell and Colleen are the parents of Whitney Cerak, the survivor of the crash who was believed to be dead. Mark Tabb is a former pastor whom the New York Times described as "the go-to guy when a collaborator is needed on books with spiritual themes."
On April 26 2006, a Taylor University
Taylor University
Taylor University is a private, interdenominational, evangelical Christian college located in Upland, Indiana. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest evangelical Christian colleges in America....
van carrying 9 students and staff members collided with a tractor-trailer being driven by Robert F. Spencer on Interstate 69
Interstate 69
Interstate 69 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It exists in two parts: a completed highway from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and a mostly proposed extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas...
in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Five people riding in the van died in the crash. Elizabeth Smith, Laurel Erb, Bradley Larson, and Monica Felver were killed in the crash, as was a young blonde woman the coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
identified as Whitney Cerak. A similar looking woman who was in a coma was identified as Laura Van Ryn. The Van Ryn family cared for the woman they believed to be their daughter by keeping a bedside vigil for several weeks. However, five weeks after the crash it was discovered that the surviving woman was not Laura Van Ryn, but instead Whitney Cerak.
The discovery of the mixup after the crash received international attention. The book's release also received great media attention. The book was the subject of a two-hour special on Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
, another hour on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, and was also featured on the Today Show. The book was #1 for two weeks on the adult non-fiction
New York Times Non-Fiction Bestsellers of 2008
This is a list of adult non-fiction books that topped The New York Times Non-Fiction Best Seller list in 2008....
New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
in 2008.
See also
- Alone (House)Alone (House)"Alone" is the first episode of the fourth season of House and the seventy-first episode overall. It first aired on September 25, 2007. It is based on the real life case of Whitney Cerak and Laura Van Ryn....
-- an episode from the television show HouseHouse (TV series)House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
that features a similar theme. - And Here's To You, Mrs Azrael (CSI: NY episode) -- an episode from the television show CSI: NYCSI: NYCSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...
that features a similar mistaken identity theme.