Rescued From A Romanian Orphanage: Who Is My Birth Mother? | Lost And Found | Only Human
A young mother, rescued from a Romanian orphanage and given a new life in New Zealand, heads back to Romania to try and find her birth mother. This New Zealand documentary series sets about reuniting families, uncovering cultural identity and discovering lost family heritage.
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From: Lost And Found S1 E5
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Life is never fair, Simona. I was always ANGRY about not being given up for adoption and being brought up by parents who didn't care about me or love me even though they were my biological parents.
We adopted our youngest daughter from an orphanage in Kazakhstan when she was nearly four years old. Our daughter is now 27 and to this day, I am so grateful to our daughter’s biological mother for giving our daughter life and for allowing us to be her family. I tell our daughter that her biological mother must have been an incredible woman to do this. I love and admire this woman I will never know.
I felt so sorry for the adopted mum.. what a lovely lady.
@wanjiruciru6237
3 ай бұрын
Indeed,I hope the adopted daughter appreciates the love she got
@militzaadrid9467
3 ай бұрын
...she loved this adopted Daughter so much and wants her to hace closure.
The lady who adopted her is a wonderful ladyy.
I really hope that Simona studies the horrendous history of the 20th century in Romania in detail. She doesn't really grasp what could have happened to her and how developmentally deprived and stunted she would have ended up being without the adoption. The circumstances in these Romanian orphanages were absolutely detrimental to the health and development of the infants and toddlers abandoned there. She owes her life to her birth mother and everything else she received to her adopted family.
@jcmunich1
2 ай бұрын
How dare you tell someone who you don’t know how to behave. You have no idea how much adopted children wish to know their roots.
@silviaquesada2499
2 ай бұрын
Jcmunich1 oh, get off your high horse! Did you actually read what I wrote or did the suggestion she learn about the details of her horrendous situation in the orphanage she suffered in make you jump to the conclusion that I criticize her search for her birth family? How about facts instead of outrage?
@silviaquesada2499
2 ай бұрын
@@jcmunich1 you sound like Greta Thunberg "How dare you?" Please read what I wrote and deal with facts, not your feelings. I never said that she should not have looked for her birth mother. But her mother and her family saved her health and possibly her life. Circumstances in Romanian orphanages were absolutely horrible and detrimental to the children, no food, no affection, living in unheated buildings etc. Many documentaries were produced after the end of communism in Romania. I don't know when circumstances improved and how much. Once Simona really grasps this maybe she understands that the adoption into this family was the best thing that could have happened to her. Her adoptive mother is incredibly loving, generous and supportive, a real mother. And don't jump to conclusions again, implying that I am saying that her birth mother is not a real mother. She did the best she could under terrible circumstances. You might profit from educating yourself about facts, too.
@Sileaine
Ай бұрын
I definitely think that Europeans probably were more aware of the politics of what was going on.
@Sileaine
Ай бұрын
@jcmunich1 honestly If you look at what happened to Irish children who were adopted by American couples from the magdaline laundries. It is so important to know the history of why kids were adopted. It helps families on both sides . Tbf this documentary does not go in the history of how women were forced to have babies.
Her adopted mother is awsome❤
Simona's adoptive mother is such a great mom!
This one just made me sob. As an adoptee so relatable. It was so beautiful to see the parallels with a sister on each side too. For those making judgments about the birth mom or adoptee, understand that adoption is a very complicated experience and try to hold their experiences in compassion rather than judgment
@janecollette9504
2 ай бұрын
Amen
@annagarner1280
2 ай бұрын
❤
I heard about these orphanages and Romania many years ago and was so disgusted by the photographs that people brought back. I don't know if she fully understands how incredibly lucky she was to get adopted so quickly.
@margaretmunce1501
3 ай бұрын
I’ve seen videos of those Romanian orphanages too. Absolutely sad, terrible places, where children were neglected, starving, and not given the love or mental stimulation that babies and children need. Simona is a very fortunate woman to have two mothers who love her so much, and the selfless love of her birth mum gave her the opportunity of the life she’s had in NZ I’m so happy that they’ve all found each other and I hope she also finds her birth father and there’s a happy ending there as well.
She is so lucky to have found her mother !
@eedwards4603
2 ай бұрын
She is luckier to have had been rescued and loved by her parents
As a mom of an adopted son from Bulgaria, I would support 100% my son meeting his biological family. He has not shown interest in meeting them but if he did I would support him. I would only worry about him being hurt if they disappointed him or rejected meeting him...that would be my only concern. Btw, if he did love them and become close to them I would not feel threatened because I am secure in his live for me as his Mom (like Simona's mom). ❤
@teresanoel4035
2 ай бұрын
Absolutely agree…. I was worried for my biological daughter to meet her father and in the end she was hurt and disappointed… the pain is immense to see your child go through that
@t.v.4551
2 ай бұрын
You seem like a wonderful person! God bless your heart 💜
This woman is a sweet person who deserves to have adopted a child. ❤ She just wants her daughter happy. Nothing else matters.
@VioletKharchandy
3 ай бұрын
Th the saint e saint
It’s no wonder she grew up angry about being removed from her birth country, with other kids highlighting her being different from them, telling her she should go back, etc.
This is the only show that makes me cry every time
I hope she meets her full brother, and dad? that would be special.
What a blessing to meet even the grandmother! The adoptive mother is such a strong woman, and a true friend to her daughter. She helped even herself learn about Simona's past. Felicitari tuturor celor care-au fost implicati!
I love the maternal affection given instinctively by both women ❤❤❤ absolute love!
"Abandoned her" are pretty strong words for bio mom.
Quite a few Romanian adoptees from those orphanages were severely abused and had major adjustment issues, and those were the success stories. Such a tragedy all around.
You should feel extremely grateful that you got adopted and not left in that horrific orphanage … you may not have a life at all had you been left, with what they did with those children was hideous.
@naesynaenae9385
2 ай бұрын
It must behard to know that you were given wonderful opportunities and a way out of a horrible situation, but at the same time wonder what might have been if a few decisions that were made by others had been made differently. I'm sure she knows that she should be greatful,but at the same time feel angry with a world that put her in that position where it was so in the first place.
@teresanoel4035
2 ай бұрын
@@naesynaenae9385 no one put her in that situation other than a selfish mother
@apebass2215
2 ай бұрын
@@teresanoel4035 that's untrue and deeply unkind.
@teresanoel4035
2 ай бұрын
@@apebass2215 what is unkind that a selfish mother gave her up
@jcmunich1
2 ай бұрын
Judgemental people like you are the worst.
I knew another family that the new man of the house hated one of the children because she wasn't his. When I heard that Maris had to give Simona up because her new husband didn't want to raise another man's child my blood boiled. it reminded me how Gary treated Charlotte. Honestly, its not the child's fault. They didn't ask to be born.
@daniellejarvis157
3 ай бұрын
Its a cultural thing, and more common than you think.
@naesynaenae9385
2 ай бұрын
It is not made clear how much the situation in Romania impacted this family, it seems Maria was working, but seemed like things were still very tough, and i guess if you are struggling to feed all of the children it might seem like a better choice at the time. It also isn't clear whether Maria would have any power to go against her husband's wishes if it had him who made that decision
It is the most beautiful reunion I have ever seen. Simona’s birth mom is the best I ever seen. Hope they keep in touch for ever.
I wonder if they are still in touch with each other today. Wish I could find out
I love the sweet adoptive mother, Happy to see her daughter founding her bio mom, supporting her on this journey. Happy ending ❤❤❤❤
I'm in same situation. Left at 3. Wish I had money to see my family
This was truly an exceptional story
Wow, so glad she got to meet her BM, can’t believe the similarities between Simona and her grandmother. Amazing adoptive mum too. May God bless you all and bring you much joy and peace.
I was a hair dresser at kid's cut and knew a child adopted from Romania they called him Miles do to miles they traveled to get him He was such a great little joy of a boy. I always wondered what happened with him.
Simona's is a joyful reunion indeed with two loving mums, all her sweet sisters, and a grandmother too.💙😊
Not a dry eye in the audience. So beautiful!
She was Blessed with an amazing mom that raised her eell, very obvious there close. Good Bond's ❤🫂🙏🏽💙
Hope it all turns out for both families ♥️😘🇨🇦
I am in tears to see the re union of mother and daughter.
This show always makes me bawl like a baby!!! Just beautiful and beautifully done ❤
I had tears streaming down my face when they were in the church together with the actual priest that baptized her. It's a lovely story and I'm so happy for Simona and her mums.
What a beautiful reunion! So emotional 😭’
For those who don't understand , Family Constellations has the answers on why people need to find their origins,their roots ,that what they are actually . Those orphanages were not an exception . Many countries can be "proud" of such terrible systems..... Children are the victims of horror stories everywhere on this planet, no exceptions. Paedophile victims of all walks of life ,from the richest to the poorest can confirm that "distinguished " members of the society (priests and others)did to them the unthinkable .Even boarding schools were ,maybe still are horror places for the most.Nuns were in so many cases perpetrators instead of educators........
How fortunate is Simona to have two Mom’s ❤ that love her so much !!!! I miss my Mom so much !!!!❤️
This was one of the most in-depth stories on these types of shows that I have seen! What an awesome story.
Wow didn’t think I’d cry What a wonderful beautiful story!
In Serbia during the 90-ies many babies were stolen from their parents. When a mother gives birth they would usualy stuff her with drugs and painkillers Then they would say to the mother :"your baby died" They wouldn't give the baby's body to the parents to burry it. They just said that the hospital does that. And the first days the cross with the baby's name would be on the grave spot where the baby was burried. But later the other cross were put there and the parents were told that that's not their child's burial place. The papper work from the hospital would be lousy filled. They were throwing their blame from one to another. Many parents are still looking for their children. In one show, once, a woman that usedtobe a flight atendant said that in those years some woman, few of them were often fly to Romania and Bulgaria with little babies who would be sleeping throughout the entire flight. All that was very suspicious to them but they were shut up by the bosses. Told to not to ask to much. And to not to pray where they shouldn't. It is painfull to see theese people crying and not knowing where their children were sold off to. There was probobly some ilegal chain of adoption service off of wich so many people gained profit.
@MVK123
7 ай бұрын
The same happened here in Ireland. My mother's first child, my brother, was adopted without her knowledge. Given to another family by the nuns. My mother was told he had died. She only discovered he was alive about 5 years ago and she's an old woman now.
@JohannaNazareen1225
7 ай бұрын
@@MVK123 those damn criminals
@BlackStump172
3 ай бұрын
@@MVK123They had no Christian love . To them those mothers were wicked sinners . Such horrible pain .
@lizhooley6726
3 ай бұрын
@@MVK123That’s so sad, did she get to meet him.
@helgardhossain9038
2 ай бұрын
No, this is not an illegal adoption system. Romania was also enrolled in a pedophile supply system .
Beautiful story with a heartwarming ending. Happy for Simona.
This brought tears to me...such deep emotion for Simona and her birth Mum. Also for her new half-sisters ! All praise to her.loving Kiwi Mum.. Wonderful story..
I cry like a baby. I hope day I'll find my son too and have a happy ending like you.
Love of Mom 😢
I Allways watch the danish program sporløs IT is about the same as this show ,and i Allways cry .When seeing them
Simona maybe should be grateful she was adopted out of there - it was deplorable conditions. Children were left by the thousands, they weren't all lucky to grow up in an adoptive home. Francis and her husband saved her. She has the ability to have a great life. And she is a whole person even if she couldn't see it that way. You tell your mind how to see it, not let your circumstances dictate it for you. Self love is equally important. It isn't found in others, it is found within. It becomes your unsinkable strength so, that if things go south elsewhere in life, you don't allow yourself to go south with it. We create our own reality with our own thoughts and actions. Glad she found her Romanian roots. 🙏💫❤💥
Beautiful😍😍✨❤ story. Mom's daughter meet again.
God bless you for giving us this story. The two mothers are wonderful. Mothers are such special people
@lindaschaefer5499
3 ай бұрын
And let's not forget the sisters that love her so much, too.😀
My friend mandika was adopted from an orphanage in Romania when she was 4 on good Friday.
For some reason it hurts my heart alittle for the Mom (the TRUE Mom, adoptive Mom) everytime they call Simone's birth Mom, Mom. There's nothing wrong with it, I just know that deep down that's got to sting a bit.
@karenquick8737
3 ай бұрын
catherineervin, I feel the exact same way. It seemed that Samona was ungrateful, but I know she loved them both. Just kind of strange.
@Hannah-jk3dk
3 ай бұрын
@@karenquick8737Ungrateful to which mother. I think the adopted mother got the pain of her not knowing why she was given up
@user-lp2ee6zo4b
3 ай бұрын
Birth mother is not mother. Person who has been through ups and downs sickness and heartbreak with love is MOM
@Aleka1943
3 ай бұрын
I think her adoptive mom just wants to see her daughter happy.
@Hannah-jk3dk
3 ай бұрын
@@Aleka1943 Yes
I absolutely love how her mom huged SIMONE. She waited all these years to hug her baby again mom was so happy to see her. Now she is going to have her baby back and a beautiful grandson.
@katalinrobin6222
2 ай бұрын
if she waited all these years to hug her baby, then why did she refuse to meet her at the beginning?
I feel really bad for the mother who adopted her. She seems ungrateful for her. She would have nothing without them. She looks like Natalia grace.
@LORGSW6
3 ай бұрын
Agreed. Being bullied by people outside your adopted family doesn't justify you to blame it on the people that saved, raised, provided, supported and loved you.
@daniellejarvis157
3 ай бұрын
@@LORGSW6 agree, and kids bully for all sorts of reasons. I was a full-blooded local native, and got bullied because of my appearance. If its not one thing it's another. so wrong of her to take that as truth, that she didn't belong and worse to resent her mother for bringing her there.
@militzaadrid9467
3 ай бұрын
@daniell...I would think she was expressing everything she trully felt, including that hurtful part about being Taken from her country. The adopted mother undestand her although it hurts her. Later that young woman Will undertand how she was saved instead of "Taken", I hope so for the sake of both, her and the adoptive mother. ejarvis157
This one has me in tears!
I love this show and live seeing ppl reunited with their birth parents. ❤ It's such a beautiful thing
Amazing program💕
This is my FAVORITE Lost and Found!
Thanks!
That bought me to tears what a lovely sep mum lovily family im pleased for her xx
What a lovely episode to watch. Thank you so much.
I have been watching these videos for a while and this is the first video that made me really emotional. I’m glad everyone is happy. ♥️🙏
Great video Daniel. Really enjoyed it. Charlie is always a laugh. Brandon sure doesn't waste any time. Ha! You can probably start the girls time to give birth-date down by the time you and Dejay get back home. Brandon will already have them bred. Can't wait to see those babies. Talk about some beauties. Packs and Fancy will enjoy all that grass at the merch bldg. We'll you'll have a lot going on. At least Dejay will be busy at merch bldg with her time. It'll make the months fly by faster before she has new babies. How far fetched is it that one of the girls could have twins? Is that even a possibility? That would be cool!! But she'd never allow them to leave the farm. Well, I'll get off that topic and let you get back to your editing. Have a great evening. Sending love to all the family from NC. God bless you all.
The love of a mother in the very worst conditions
What a GREAT video!
I love Romania!
so bea tiful to see 😍
David Lomas pronounces Ceaușescu (Chou-shes-koo) as Chauchesky like it's a Slavic name. lol
When she said 'i have a sister' i felt bad for her adopted sister actuallly 😢
I’m overwhelmed that you went through the verbal style abuse in New Zeland.
Would love an update on these Only Human programmes
Wow amazing 😢😄
This is such an embarrassing part of our country’s history. I myself who was born and raised in Romania can’t believe this because I’ve never heard of something crazy like this. Romanian families love and protect their children. She might be a Gypsy and they are many careless with their children. Many highly educated people come from Romania. 🇷🇴 It’s unfair that something like this is shown on tv to put my country down.
Simona, welcome home!
Thank you Lady Theotokotos for bringing Simona back to her biological family. I pray Simona will be able to embrace both of her families. Thank you Simona's guardian's angel. ☦️
Years of jou for all ❤❤
Happy for both families 😅
adoptions from Romania were highly problematic, and eventually all adoptions to the US were shut down due trauma, violence, and having to return children because they had been so traumatized.
I noticed how her and her birth mom’s hair was the same colour.
Ty for not just covering celebrities. Because not everyone cares where they are from of they are American.
She has a real Mother. A adopted mother who has been looking after her
@wanjiruciru6237
3 ай бұрын
I feel like she is going to uproot her life from New Zealand and head to Romania
@daniellejarvis157
3 ай бұрын
it is an insult to the adoptive mother to refer to her as anything other than a 'real' mother. There is a birth mother and an adoptive mother, and they are BOTH real mothers.
@militzaadrid9467
3 ай бұрын
@@wanjiruciru6237...she would do it out of knowlege, she dies not know she belongs to New Zeland and her adopted mother. If not good luck to her.
I CANNOT imagine a woman giving her child away
Iv got family somewhere in Romania there was a slavik girl found in or near Birmingham England of my ancestors no name yet but I know my Romanian ancestors where the first Romanian farmers and were Roma and also most of the Balkans Hungary Bulgaria ect stainbank Lombard wallace or Crawford are the family names if anyone reconises thoes names let me know
That was freaking beautiful I hope everyone reading this Keeps an eye on what happened to that beautiful country at that time, How it affected generations, let's all make sure it never happens again especially after the last few years 🥰 love too everyone
Awesome,, definitely would like to meet my biological mother
Why does this adopted child seem so ungrateful to her adopted mom
God works in a mysterious way. He hears and answers our prayers, in his own time and in his own way.
She seems quite ready to ditch her adoptive family and move to Romania...just a feeling I'm getting
@shamemeadams1872
2 ай бұрын
I agree.
❤❤
❤
Simone should feel glad she was adopted. she escaped a terrible country, at that time very poor. Even her half sisters live in Germany, that says something and that poor mother can't even afford a necessary dental treatment.
@Loveprevails
2 ай бұрын
She does feel grateful however wealth isn’t everything, would you have preferred not knowing your birth family and the love from your mother to be brought up in a more wealthy environment? Rethink what you said, I feel you have not watched the documentary properly and understood Simonas and her family’s approach
Why can't the mother meet Simona instead of having to watch the laptop?
1 brother and 1 sister. is not a large family. Im 1 of 7 kids.
So the birth mom choose a man over her child, that's so sad and pathetic and kinda unforgivable. She had younger kids by this man but gave away a child she had already been raising , all because of this man not wanting her. He would have been kicked out, not my child . I know she wants to meet her birth mom but does she fully understand her birth mom gave her away just to keep a man ,who she didn't end up staying with.
I’m confused… it sounds like she gave her daughter up because the man she married didn’t want to raise someone else’s kid… and then to be put in that god awful orphanage not knowing if she would get adopted…. Please correct me if I’m wrong… if I’m not… there is something very flawed with this woman!!!
@BlackStump172
3 ай бұрын
She had to survive somehow and perhaps this marriage was her only choice .
@catepilarr
3 ай бұрын
You probably cant imagine what the situation was like then in Romania.
@someone3187
3 ай бұрын
She chose to be with a new man and to have his children. She could have chosen to stay with her previous son and daughter and not date a new man.
@naesynaenae9385
2 ай бұрын
@@someone3187 i would have to rewatch, but i think that Maria said she "split from her husband", so not 100% on whether it was her who left or if he walked out? Maybe she did leave, it's always possible he was abusive etc, and she ended leaving one "bad" relationship for another one that was also "bad", as those cycles also happen where women go from one abusive relationship to another. Maybe she thought this one would provide for her and her children better? She may not have seen what was coming with political situation at that time, and the then need to re-marry? Would need to have a better idea of time-line. Things change and people make decisions the best they can with the information they have and what they understand of it at the time. Maria seems to be fairly uneducated and unlikely to have ever been in a position of privilege, so I'm not sure it is completely fair to judge her without the whole story. Maybe she was just looking out for herself, but i really don't get that from what they showed
@teresanoel4035
2 ай бұрын
@@BlackStump172 BS… she’s been working at the same place ever since she gave up that child so she had the means to support her self and that child yes she goes on to marry a man has two more children. Now he’s gone and guess who still supporting the children
Jej matka nie szukala synow i jej. Urodzila 6 dzieci. Dla mnie to nie jest normalne. SORRY
Some women give up children and never give it a second thought.
I’m sorry that girl Simona is very self centered. What a lovely person the adoptive Mother is.
@shamemeadams1872
2 ай бұрын
I agree.
called girl way way too soon
shouldnt have called girl till had MADE contact with actual mother.
i think you should have shown simona;s mother the message from her daughter when you first saw her.