Meet Luca Trapanese – a 46-year-old single father from Naples, Italy. His name might not ring a bell, but his story is one everyone should hear about – especially in an age when inclusivity and acceptance are not only encouraged, but required. So, who is Luca Trapanese, and what can the world learn from him?
Luca has been volunteering and working with disabled kids since he was 14 years old, so he has always had an interest in helping others and has always understood the complexities of living with an illness. That perspective, however, was magnified when his childhood friend passed away from terminal cancer.
It was at that moment that he started to volunteer at a church – helping critically ill people and kids with disabilities. He met the love of his life at the age of 25, they founded a charity together, and they even had plans of starting a family. Unfortunately, that all changed when they broke up after 11 years together.
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Luca Trapanese no longer had a man in his life, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to be a father – in fact, it made him want it even more. The problem? He was a single gay man living in Italy – a country that doesn’t usually allow single gay men to adopt. There was one exception, though – kids with disabilities.
In 2017, he was able to apply for adoption – he was told in advance that he ‘would only be given a child with problems.’ Of course, that didn’t matter to him – he wrote on the application that he would happily adopt a child no matter what condition they were living with. It didn’t take long for him to meet his match.
Later that year, in July 2017, Luca Trapanese met his adorable daughter, Alba, for the first time – she was 13 days old at the time and was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Despite being passed over by 20 other families who didn’t want a child with Down Syndrome, Luca felt incredibly blessed to have Alba in his life.
While he admitted to being scared and nervous at first – being a single father isn’t easy – he knew he was ready to be a father the moment he held her in his arms. And he was lucky enough to have a support system – including his two mothers – that has loved and cherished Alba since the day she arrived.
Luca Trapanese Continues to Document His Life With Alba
Luca Trapanese was told he couldn’t adopt a child unless they had a disability. At the same time, Alba was passed over by 20 families who didn’t want a disabled child. To say this was a match made in heaven is an understatement, but the two came together at the right time and have been loving life ever since.
For the past 6+ years, Luca has documented his life with Alba on social media. They’ve amassed more than 658,000 followers on Instagram, and he even wrote a book about their time together. He’s proving to the world – especially his home country – that single gay men make excellent fathers, if given the chance.
“I am made to be a father! I really like to dedicate myself to Alba and her life. I feel very happy,” Luca said in an interview with The Dad in 2020. He says the two greatest days of his life were when Alba called him ‘Dad’ for the first time and when she took her first steps – two milestones every parent will cherish forever.
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“My greatest struggle is to make others understand that Alba is above all a person, and needs to be considered for all her needs. We must fight against mental barriers and against exclusion. I hope Alba will meet people who value her talents and who don’t consider her just a person with a handicap,” he added.