At their first meeting, the mother of Callie Marie Johnson and the paternal grandparents of Rebecca Grace Chittum - the two girls apparently switched at birth three years ago - said they would not seek custody of the child being raised by the other, the Chittums' pastor said at the weekend. Ms Paula Johnson met Larry and Rosa Chittum on Friday near Charlottesville, Virginia. The two girls were not present.
"They talked, and Paula Johnson said she did not want to hurt them by taking Rebecca," said Mr Butch Grow, the pastor who spoke to the Chittums yesterday about their meeting with Ms Johnson. "Nor did they want to hurt her by taking Callie."
Friday's meeting was the first time members of both families sat down together to discuss the futures of the two girls.
Callie Marie and Rebecca were sent home three years ago with the wrong mothers, according to officials at the University of Virginia Medical Centre at Charlottesville, where the girls were born. This was discovered last month when genetic tests on Callie Marie showed Ms Johnson was not her biological mother.
Rebecca's grandparents, who live in Buena Vista, have been caring for her since July 4th, when her parents died in a car crash. The results of genetic tests on Rebecca have not yet been released, her family say.
At the weekend, Ms Rosa Chittum said she was not yet ready to talk about the apparent baby-switching, or about Friday's meeting with Johnson. But she said her family was encouraged by the meeting and "really liked Paula".
Mr Grow said Ms Johnson, who lives in Ruckersville, Virginia, was joined at the meeting by her ex-boyfriend, Mr Carlton Conley, and her mother. Rebecca's maternal grandparents, who share custody of her, were absent.
Ms Cynthia Johnson, a lawyer representing Ms Paula Johnson, did not return calls left at her office and home yesterday seeking comment about the meeting.
Mr Michael S Irvine, a lawyer for the Chittums, said no lawyers attended the meeting.
The meeting was originally scheduled for yesterday but was changed at the last minute because the families feared reporters would follow them, Irvine said.