A Nebraska father is fighting state authorities to obtain a valid birth certificate and Social Security number for his two-year-old daughter, who was mistakenly named “Unakite Thirteen Hotel” due to a paperwork error.
Jason Kilburn, who lives outside Omaha, has been struggling to secure the necessary documents for his daughter, Caroline, after an issue with her birth certificate. Without these documents, he is unable to access essential services such as health insurance and childcare.
“It’s like she’s a ghost,” Kilburn told NBC on Monday. “It’s been very, very taxing.”
Caroline was born in November 2022 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but was immediately placed in Nebraska foster care. Kilburn, who was not in a relationship with Caroline’s mother at the time, later learned about the birth. The mother, facing allegations of neglect and drug issues, had no custody rights, according to Kilburn’s attorney.
When Kilburn gained custody of Caroline, he discovered that instead of an official birth certificate, he had received a certificate of live birth, an unofficial document used to initiate the birth certificate process. The name listed on the certificate was “Unakite Thirteen Hotel.”
Kilburn contacted the hospital, CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs, but received little help. He was told that the name was computer-generated. In addition to the birth certificate issue, Kilburn learned his daughter did not have a Social Security number either.
Joshua Livingston, Kilburn’s attorney, described the situation as a “circuitous, bureaucratic loop.”
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services confirmed it is working with Kilburn’s attorney to resolve the matter but declined to provide further details, citing confidentiality laws regarding children in state custody.
Each state is responsible for managing vital records, including births, and for correcting any errors, the department said in a statement.
