The Incredible Search for Tracy, the Kind and Mysterious Stranger

Twenty-three years ago, sisters Ayda Zugay and Vanja Contino fled their home country of the former Yugoslavia to make a better life for themselves in America.

• The girls were only twelve and seventeen at the time. The younger, Ayda, did not speak a word of English, and they had no money after paying for the trip overseas.

On their long flight from Amsterdam to the Midwest, Vanja, the older of the two, got to speaking with the woman sitting next to them on the plane. In broken English, she explained their situation and hope for a fresh start.

😲❤️ What happened next blew the girls away...

Handing them a small envelope at the end of the flight, the woman wished the girls luck and went on her way. Inside sat a $100 bill, a pair of dangly earrings and a note, which read:

“To the girls from Yugoslavia,

I am so sorry that the bombing of your country has caused your family any problems. I hope your stay in America will be a safe and happy one for you. Welcome to America- please use this to help you here.

A friend from the plane, Tracy.”

🔎 The search begins… The girls' transition to America wasn't an easy one, but Ayda and Vanja were immensely grateful for the money and kindness from Tracy. So for the last ten years, Ayda has gone to incredible lengths to try and find this kind stranger.

• Remembering bits and pieces from their conversation on the plane, Ayda called hotels, airlines, refugee organizations, and more for clues. Unfortunately, she was continuously met with dead ends.
• "I want to be able to find Tracy to thank her for her generosity, for her kindness, for her empathy, and for welcoming my sister and I,” she shared in a video about her search on Twitter that ended up going viral.
• “The chances are soooooo low and at the same time I don't feel discouraged. I want to stay relentless as long as I can... They were our first welcome, and they will never be forgotten. I want them to know how the story ends."

🤷‍♀️ Life is funny sometimes… Meanwhile, Tracy Peck has spent the last 23 years in her job as a massage therapist in Minneapolis. She plays tennis for fun and was coming back from a trip to Europe for the French Open on that fateful day in 1999.

When Ayda’s story went viral, two of Tracy’s friends sent it to her, asking if she could possibly be the woman they were searching for. As she opened the link, she was shocked to see her own handwriting looking back at her.

• She vividly remembered meeting the two scared, young girls and wanting to help them in any way possible. Never could she have imagined the profound impact her gesture had on the course of their lives.

🍿 The Hollywood ending: Last week, more than twenty years later, the three women were finally reunited on a Zoom call full of tears and disbelief. 

• “I just want to encourage everybody in the world to just be kind.” Tracy shared with CNN. “What does it hurt? Except it helps everyone. Smile, make eye contact, help anyone that's in trouble or in danger. And I just don't know why anyone wouldn't do that. So, I'm very, very thankful that I have found you girls, [and] that you have found me."