Izidor Ruckel touring Romania with ProTV

Former Romanian orphan visits his old orphanage and birth family

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA 3/7/15: Izidor Ruckel, America’s most well-known Romanian adoptee, arrived in Romania March 1. On his first trip back to his home country in a decade, Izidor is spending the first two weeks of a two-month visit touring the country with ProTV.

ProTV’s Irina Fodor is traveling with Ruckel as he re-traces his former life in Romania, including visiting his orphanage in Sighetu Marmației, a small northern town on the Romanian-Ukrainian border, and meeting up with his birth family.

Ruckel brought Fodor a copy of his autobiography Abandoned for Life for her review. He hopes to communicate his love for his home country, especially for the children who still struggle as unwanted orphans, as he once did.

“I do not want to embarrass my home country or rehash the wrongs of the past,” Ruckel said. “Instead, I want to be a part of Romania moving into the future: a future where all children, no matter what their parents’ circumstances, are seen as precious and worthy of respect, education and opportunity.”

Ruckel will be a guest on La Măruță, ProTV’s primetime entertainment news magazine, on Monday and Tuesday, March 9-10, airing at 5:30 p.m. Romanian time. Ruckel encourages viewers to tune in for footage of his visit to the orphanage he lived at for the first 11 years of his life, as well as his first time meeting relatives from his extended biological family.

In addition, Ruckel has a big surprise for planned for the live show. Tune in Monday to see his announcement!