Luca Trapanese And the Call That Changed His Life
At age 25, Trapanese enrolled in a seminary to become a Catholic priest, but he fell in love with a man. After spending eleven years with his partner, the pair founded a charity dedicated to working with people with disabilities.
Unfortunately they broke up, but Trapanese was still very keen on becoming a parent. The problem? A single dad was not able to adopt a child in Italy at the time.
When Trapanese first applied for adoption, the authorities told him he would only be considered for children with illnesses, disabilities, or behavioral challenges—children that traditional families had declined to adopt, but this was something he was already planning to do with his partner, since they were looking forward to adopting a child with special needs.
In July 2017, he got the call: a baby girl named Alba, 13 days old, had been abandoned at birth and rejected by over 20 families due to her Down syndrome diagnosis.
For Luca, it was love at first sight. “When I held her in my arms, I knew immediately that she was my daughter,” he shared. The adoption process was the culmination of years of yearning to start a family and help a child who had been overlooked. Despite the many challenges—both societal and personal—Trapanese embraced fatherhood with joy, and Alba found a loving home with her new father.
“I’m not a hero,” Trapanese has said on numerous occasions. “I’m simply a father who wanted to love a child, and I found my daughter in Alba.” His humility underscores the deeper message of his story: that parenthood is defined by love, not by societal expectations.
A Proud Father and Bookwriter
Trapanese’s experience as a father inspired him to write several children’s books, such as Nata per te (Born for You, 2018) and Le nostre imperfezioni (Our Imperfections, 2021), where he aims to portray disability from a positive and everyday perspective. His works are more than just stories—they are a testament to his mission to break down the stigmas surrounding disability and promote inclusion.
In 2023, Luca also participated in the Cali Book Fair in Colombia, sharing his latest book, Non chiedermi chi sono (Don’t Ask Me Who I Am), in a virtual event where he continued advocating for children with disabilities.
“She Adopted Me”
Luca and Alba’s life is filled with love, joy, and challenges, as he candidly shares on social media and through his series of children’s books. Luca often says, “It’s Alba who adopted me.” Their bond is one of mutual growth and learning, with Alba teaching Luca the beauty of life through her unique perspective.
“Disability arises from ignorance,” Trapanese remarks. “Those who rejected Alba couldn’t see how precious she is.” Through his advocacy, Luca hopes to change the way people view disability, highlighting the happiness and beauty that exist in what others might see as imperfections.
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La Casa di Matteo
Now a social policies councilor in Naples, Trapanese continues his work advocating for children with disabilities through his organization, La casa di Matteo, which offers support to children with serious medical conditions. His journey as a father has not only redefined family for him but also touched the lives of countless others who have been inspired by his story.
In the end, Luca Trapanese’s story reminds us all that love knows no boundaries. Whether it’s overcoming societal stigma, legal barriers, or personal fears, Trapanese’s fatherly love to Alba shows that family is not about conformity—it’s about unconditional love and acceptance.
