Read Aurora's full story in your language

English — Our story

Italiano — La nostra storia

Română — Povestea noastră

Aurora Is Only 3 — Help Reunite Mother & Daughter

Aurora is only three years old.

At an age when a little girl should be discovering the world, playing, laughing and finding comfort in familiar arms, Aurora and her mother are living through a painful separation.

For three years, Anna was Aurora's primary caregiver. She was there for her first discoveries, her illnesses, her fears and her happiest moments.

Their days were filled with the simplest things: baking heart-shaped cookies, reading bedtime stories, pretending to make coffee, exercising together, visiting grandparents and playing with cousins.

A whole childhood was taking shape in those ordinary moments.

“The little things that made up our everyday life.”

Today, that everyday life together has been interrupted.

Following complex international legal proceedings between Italy and Romania, Aurora now lives with her father in Romania. Her time with her mother is limited by court orders.

And the most heartbreaking moments come when they have to say goodbye.

When a Three-Year-Old Asks to Stay with Her Mother

Aurora asks to remain with her mother. She wants to go with her.

Anna holds her daughter, tries to comfort her and reassure her, knowing that their time together must end.

How do you explain to a three-year-old child that she must leave her mother's arms when all she wants is to stay?

For this mother and daughter, being together is no longer an ordinary part of everyday life. Their moments together are measured by schedules, followed by another goodbye.

And after each separation, Anna must face the absence of the little girl whose life she once shared every day.

The bedtime stories are no longer a nightly ritual. The mornings no longer begin together. The smallest moments — the ones that make up a childhood — cannot simply be recovered later.

How did this separation happen?

Aurora's situation is the subject of ongoing family-law proceedings involving Italy and Romania.

In March 2026, a Romanian court provisionally placed Aurora's residence with her father in Romania.

According to the reasons given in that decision, the requirement that Aurora reside in Romania was a central consideration. Importantly, the decision was not based on any finding that her mother posed a danger to her.

Subsequently, in separate proceedings under the 1980 Hague Convention, an order was made for Aurora's return to Romania.

These decisions profoundly changed Aurora's daily life and her mother's ability to care for her.

The legal questions concerning Aurora's residence and family arrangements remain the subject of judicial proceedings.

Anna is asking for her daughter's history of care, emotional bonds and need for stability to be fully considered.

Her hope is to return to caring for Aurora in everyday life, while respecting her relationship with both parents.

Courts have their timelines. Childhood does not.

Aurora is growing up now.

Every day brings new words, new discoveries, new memories.

There are mornings Anna cannot share with her, moments of sadness she cannot always comfort, and evenings when she cannot simply hold her daughter and put her to bed.

No future court decision can give a child back the days of childhood that have already passed.

Anna continues to pursue the legal avenues available to her because she believes Aurora's needs, relationships and emotional well-being deserve the fullest possible consideration.

But pursuing legal proceedings in two countries comes at an enormous financial cost.

Why this fundraiser matters

Anna has continued working while supporting the growing costs of the proceedings and the travel necessary to remain involved in Aurora's life.

Legal representation in Italy and Romania, appeals, translations, court documentation and travel expenses have placed an increasingly difficult burden on her finances.

She has tried to manage these costs independently.

Today, she is asking for help so that financial hardship does not prevent her from continuing the legal process.

Donations will help cover legal fees and related expenses associated with Aurora's ongoing proceedings, including appeals, translations, documentation and necessary travel.

The aim of this fundraiser is to help ensure that the legal avenues available to Anna can continue to be pursued.

One day, Aurora will be old enough to understand

One day, Aurora may ask what happened during these years.

Her mother hopes she will know that, when she called for her, she was heard.

That when she asked to stay, her mother wanted nothing more than to hold her close.

That she was never abandoned.

And that, even when the distance, the legal proceedings and the financial burden seemed overwhelming, her mother continued trying to find a way to be part of her everyday life again.

Behind this fundraiser is a three-year-old girl asking for her mother, and a mother doing everything she can, through lawful means, to be there for her.

If you can, please make a donation. Even a small contribution can help.

If you cannot donate, please share Aurora's story.

Every act of kindness can help this mother continue her efforts for her daughter's future.

Thank you for listening, for caring, and for helping Aurora's story reach others.

For privacy reasons, Aurora's face is not shown publicly because consent has not been obtained from her other parent.