The Lost Sons

When he was ten years old, Paul Fronczak stumbled upon news clippings hidden in his parents’ house that he was kidnapped from a Chicago hospital shortly after he was born by an unknown woman masquerading as a nurse, this story which his parents confirmed. He would also learn that he was discovered approximately two years later in 1965 abandoned on a street in Newark, and with the exception of a black eye, seemingly healthy and well taken care of. In documenting his medical history when in his fifties for his daughter’s sake, Paul would further learn, the result of DNA tests, that the Fronczaks are not his biological parents. In part still for his daughter but now as much for himself, Paul goes on a very public search for his true identity, the media coverage which he hoped would help overcome the difficulties in the story being over fifty years old. This quest, conversely, was never meant to be him turning his back on the only family he has ever known. Additionally, the quest includes trying to find the identity of the fake nurse who kidnapped Paul, and what ever did happen to the real Paul. With obvious criminal acts having taken place, Paul may be opening a Pandora’s box. The effect of this story on his relationship with his family members is also shown. —Huggo