Looks Can Be Deceiving
1997 was a defining year for Ron and Natalie Trecroce, who had decided it was time to start a family. They had been trying for years to become parents, but with no luck, so they decided to change their approach.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
Since many couples cannot conceive naturally, it’s not surprising that Ron and Natalie considered adoption. They were determined to expand their family, and the little girl they hoped to adopt appeared perfect on paper. Of course, as we all know, looks can be deceiving.
A Tough Adoption Process
The couple was devastated to learn that Natalie was sterile, but they were confident in their readiness to become parents despite the setback. They began exploring potential avenues for starting their own family.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
Ron and Natalie were enthusiastic about opening their home to a needy youngster. So, they endured every hardship the adoption process had to throw at them. After going through so much, they never suspected their quest would lead them down an even more arduous road.
The Journey to Romania
Finally, an opportunity opened up in Romania. Though it was far from their home in Canada, Ron and Natalie did their best to maintain an upbeat attitude. No sooner had they arrived in Arad, Romania, than the adoption center connected them to a beautiful orphaned girl named Rodica Lavinia Farcas.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
Though this young girl had not been alive for very long, she already possessed a dark and concerning backstory. Ron and Natalie had some tough lessons ahead of them.
One Look and They Knew It Was Love
Upon first seeing Rodica, Ron and Natalie realized without a doubt that she was their child. Her eyes sparkled, and her smile melted their hearts immediately. They would never have guessed that she had been through hell before meeting them.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
Though Ron and Natalie knew adoption would not be easy, the truth about Rodica’s past was beyond what they ever could have expected. The first glimmer of a problem came up on their trip back to Canada.
Rodica’s First Secret Revealed
Rodica, only a year old, was already suffering from rickets, a condition brought on by a deficiency of vitamin D. The bones of children with this disorder are soft and brittle because of inadequate calcium intake.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
Thankfully, rickets is treatable, so Ron and Natalie didn’t panic. Rodica couldn’t play since her frail bones would break if she pushed. However, she only needed to take her Vitamin D supplements and go outside regularly to get some morning sun.
While researching Rodica’s case, Ron and Natalie discovered a horrifying reality regarding orphanages in Romania.
The Horrific Results of Authoritarian Rule
It turned out that Rodica wasn’t the only orphan suffering from rickets in that Romanian institution. Sadly, she wasn’t the only kid left out in the cold. Nicolae Ceauşescu, a dictator who ruled Romania in the 1990s, prohibited all forms of birth control. It’s easy to foresee the disastrous outcomes of this law.
Source: Wikimedia
Ceauşescu’s strategy caused many women to become pregnant despite their inability to provide for their children. These children were quickly placed in shelters throughout the nation.
A Lack of Financial Support Left the Orphans Struggling
The Romanian government had difficulty giving its people the necessities they required. Many families couldn’t raise their children, so adoption became their only alternative. Some orphaned kids got placed in foster care, but many more were left on the streets.
Source: THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images
Fortunately, the odds were in Rodica’s favor. She was offered the chance to be adopted by a wealthy couple from another nation who could provide for her needs.
After making these heartbreaking findings, Ron and Natalie wanted more details about their daughter’s background.
A Mystery to Solve
Ron and Natalie considered Rodica as their own daughter by now. They had a gut feeling that their meeting was for a purpose. So, it was essential for them to learn more about their daughter’s background. They also wanted to prepare for the day she would eventually ask about her adoption history.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
They felt strongly that Rodica should be granted the chance to learn as much as possible about her biological mother and the circumstances surrounding her placement in the Romanian orphanage.
The Quest for Answers
Ron and Natalie were determined to learn more about Rodica’s history, so they exhausted every possible resource. They quickly realized that it would be highly challenging to obtain the required data.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
The orphanage staff failed to furnish them with reliable records. In fact, the Trecroces suspected that the required paperwork never even existed. As it became clear that no help would be forthcoming, they chose to act independently.
A Clue Hidden in Plain Sight
Ron and Natalie were looking for information that was never stored on the internet. This challenge made their search incredibly difficult. However, they did have a few resources and records that might help.
Source: pensandpatrons.com
The couple had made some critical connections in Romania, and these people helped them track down details of Rodica’s family lineage. Much to their surprise, the Trecroces learned that Rodica’s biological parents had put more than one child up for adoption.
Rodica’s Older Sister
While investigating Rodica’s background, Ron and Natalie discovered that her biological mother had already given birth to another child. Both children were given up for adoption, but the older sibling went to an orphanage in a different city.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
Finding Rodica’s sister quickly became Ron and Natalie’s new priority. They knew how significant it would be for both kids to connect with a sibling who had been through the same things they had.
Would the Sisters Be Reunited?
The couple felt an immediate pull to complete their family by adopting Rodica’s sister. They looked for Gianina, Rodica’s older sister, at every Romanian orphanage.
Source: DreamsTime
Both of them were taken aback by how identical the two girls were. People would easily mistake them for twins, given their similarities. Thankfully, their search proved fruitful, and the Trecroces were overjoyed to expand their family.
As you’ll see in the following section, Ron and Natalie soon discovered that Gianina was not Rodica’s only sibling.
The Surprises Just Keep Coming
A long and arduous journey carried Natalie, Ron, and their two new daughters back to Canada. Immediately after their arrival, Natalie and Ron made another monumental discovery. These young girls had four more siblings out there!
Source: Reddit
After the hard work it took to bring Gianina home with them, the couple didn’t think they had it in them to repeat the process four more times. However, they couldn’t get those orphaned children out of their minds.
Making the Most of Life in Canada
Knowing they wouldn’t be able to locate all the kids, Ron and Natalie focused all their love and attention solely on the two girls in their guardianship.
Source: Unsplash
They gave the girls new names to complete their transition into the family. Gianina became Sophia, while Rodica was named Danielle. Their new identities helped them fit into their new home, but Natalie didn’t want them to lose touch with Romania altogether.
Holding Onto Their Heritage
The couple was hesitant to change the girls too drastically. Though they wanted them to feel at home in Canada, it didn’t seem right to strip them of their Romanian identities.
Source: DreamsTimes
Natalie and Ron decided that the best way to protect Sophia and Danielle’s heritage was to convert their old given names into their new middle names. So, the girls’ new names were Danielle Rodica Trecroce and Sophia Gianina Trecroce.
Their Tale Has Moved Countless People
As you can imagine, this is the kind of story that spreads quickly. After all, it’s not every day that you hear about sisters being separated and then reunited in a country far from home.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
The life experiences of these two young women piqued a documentary filmmaker’s interest. Soon, he was busy adapting their narrative into a movie. The filmmaker felt it was essential to document the story so others could benefit from the Trecroce family’s life lessons.
Watching the Story of Their Life Unfold
When Sophia grew up, she finally got around to watching the film this documentarian created. She found it fascinating to watch her life develop in front of the camera, so she cut the film down to a more manageable length before uploading it to YouTube.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
The initial video posted by Sophia was removed from the site, but only after a significant number of people on YouTube had already viewed it. Since then, other versions have been uploaded to the platform.
Sophia Has Officially Entered Adulthood
Sophia decided to pursue a career in photography partly due to the attention her viral film made about her life. She was also compelled to research her genealogy after watching the movie.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
Eventually, the young woman decided that she needed to visit Romania to understand who she was and where she might have grown up if she wasn’t adopted. She had given up hope of finding her biological mother and was simply content to spend time in her country of origin.
What Happened to Danielle Trecroce?
Danielle benefited greatly from the care and encouragement of her adoptive parents, Ron and Natalie. She grew up to be a confident, intelligent, and self-reliant young woman. When the two girls went to college, they ensured that they didn’t go to opposite ends of the country from each other.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
Danielle is as interested as Sophia in their family history, so they decided to travel to Romania together.
A Happy Ending for the Trecroce Family
It never occurred to Ron and Natalie that their trip to Romania would alter the course of their lives so thoroughly. Bringing home two kids instead of one was a surprise they weren’t expecting. They were prepared for the difficulty of establishing a family. However, nothing could prepare them for the complexities of tracking down their daughter’s family from the other side of the world.
Source: Real Stories/YouTube
Clearly, their efforts paid off because the ending to this story is a happy one. The girls are pursuing fulfilling careers and can now call two countries home.