diff --git a/src/parse_phylip.c b/src/parse_phylip.c
index cbc0c587..aa5e0013 100644
--- a/src/parse_phylip.c
+++ b/src/parse_phylip.c
@@ -62,17 +62,21 @@ int get_internal_node(int sequence_index)
 void get_sequence_for_sample_name(char * sequence_bases, char * sample_name)
 {
     int sequence_index;
-    sequence_index = find_sequence_index_from_sample_name( sample_name);
+    sequence_index = find_sequence_index_from_sample_name(sample_name);
     if(sequence_index < 0)
     {
-        printf("Couldnt find sequence name %s with index %d\n", sample_name,sequence_index);
+        printf("Could not find sequence name %s with index %d\n", sample_name,sequence_index);
         exit(1);
     }
+    get_sequence_for_sample_index(sequence_bases, sequence_index);
+    
+}
 
+void get_sequence_for_sample_index(char * sequence_bases, int sequence_index)
+{
     memcpy(sequence_bases, sequences[sequence_index], size_of_string(sequences[sequence_index]) +1);
 }
 
-
 void fill_in_unambiguous_gaps_in_parent_from_children(int parent_sequence_index, int * child_sequence_indices, int num_children)
 {
 	int snp_counter = 0; 
diff --git a/src/parse_phylip.h b/src/parse_phylip.h
index 9be4c939..bbff7e6c 100644
--- a/src/parse_phylip.h
+++ b/src/parse_phylip.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
  } sample_statistics;
 
 void get_sequence_for_sample_name(char * sequence_bases, char * sample_name);
+void get_sequence_for_sample_index(char * sequence_bases, int sequence_index);
 int find_sequence_index_from_sample_name( char * sample_name);
 int update_sequence_base(char new_sequence_base, int sequence_index, int base_index);
 int does_column_contain_snps(int snp_column, char reference_base);