When the first Westerners arrived at the main children's institution in Siret, they were shocked by what they saw.
Hundreds of children were living there, with few staff to care for them.
At one stage, the institution was home to more than 1,000 children.
Located in the centre of the town, the institution was a huge Communist-era building.
Hygiene and cleanliness were woefully inadequate...
... and the food was little better.
Western medical staff found many of the children malnourished.
Images of the institution - and others across Romania - were shown across the world, sparking a huge aid operation.