A woman from Châteauguay, Quebec, has discovered that her daughter, whom she adopted from Romania in 1991, was a victim of child trafficking. Despite believing she followed legal procedures, she learned that the adoption involved a false identity. As she investigates her past, Danielle Harrison reflects on the challenges of international adoption during a tumultuous time in Romania and the emotional turmoil she faced, raising awareness about child trafficking and the complexities of adoption.
A Heart-Wrenching Discovery
A woman from Châteauguay, Quebec, has come to a shocking realization about her past: she was a victim of child trafficking when she adopted her daughter from Romania in 1991. Supported by *Le Journal* and *J.E.*, she has embarked on a quest to uncover her true identity and the circumstances surrounding her adoption.
The Journey to Motherhood
Danielle Harrison, the Quebec woman at the center of this story, is still reeling from the revelation that her daughter was adopted under a false identity. “I followed the procedures as instructed. The documentation appeared legitimate. Even though Romania was in turmoil at that time, I could never have imagined that a judge would facilitate such a thing,” she reflects, struggling to accept that her daughter was not who she thought.
Harrison and her husband initially looked into adoption in Quebec but were deterred by an eight-year wait. They turned their hopes to Romania after hearing about another Canadian who had recently adopted a baby from the country.
In July 1991, she traveled to Bucharest, where her heart sank at the airport when men approached her, showing pictures of infants for sale. The following day, the lawyer handed her a baby girl named Roxana Pamela. “She was a blonde baby with blue eyes. It struck me that I was about to take someone else’s child, and it sent chills down my spine,” Harrison recalls. Despite her reservations, she recognized the baby as “the most beautiful baby in the world,” a sentiment she later documented in her journal for her husband back in Canada.
Although the adoption process was officially underway, it was fraught with challenges. Romania’s corruption made communication difficult, especially since Harrison did not speak Romanian and her contacts had limited English skills. “This is precisely why we engaged a lawyer. We wanted everything to be above board. Now, 32 years later, to hear that my daughter was taken and sold under a false identity makes me feel incredibly naive,” she says with a heavy heart.
Harrison acknowledges that there was no way for her to know the birth certificate provided by the Romanian authorities was fraudulent. “It was impossible for her to know that the birth certificate provided by the Romanian government for my adoption was false,” she points out, emphasizing the intricate web of deception surrounding her case.
Despite the complexities of international adoption during that era, Harrison believed she was following all legal requirements, including obtaining a Romanian court judgment, medical evaluations, and necessary immigration documents. “I never questioned the legality of the adoption because we had a lawyer, the paperwork was in order, and we had appeared before a judge. Yet, I can’t help but wonder why we had to exchange cigarettes or Coke during the process,” she reflects.
During her two-week stay in Romania, she often felt uneasy and questioned what was happening. “Until the plane took off, I was always on edge, waiting for something to go wrong. When the plane finally took off, I burst into tears,” she recalls, revealing the emotional turmoil she experienced. This ongoing investigation has not only unearthed painful truths but also highlighted the complexities of international adoption, prompting a broader conversation about child trafficking and the legal systems surrounding it.