They were only 17 and 11 at the time, respectively.
Now, she was heading home to be with her family.
I remember how kind she was to us, Zugayrecalled.
She was almost treating us like we were family.
There was a note written on the outside that began, To: The girls from Yugoslavia.
A friend from the planeTRACY.
The sisters were shocked.
I couldn’t believe that somebody had so much empathy, Zugaysaid.
The two moved in with a relative who didnt have much money either.
And for Zugay, now 35 years old, the envelope laid the groundwork for her career with nonprofits.
Zugay had always wanted to find and personally thank Tracy.
After nearly a decade of searching, she widened her scope to ask for help.
In May 2022, Zugay shared their story withCNNand provided all of the research she had done thus far.
After sifting through thousands of tips sent by readers, she finally found her answer on Twitter.
You are looking for my mom Tracy Peck!
Her handwriting is unmistakable.
She remembers you girls from the flight!
Peck, a now 70-year-old Minnesotan, cried as she read the CNN article.
Peck didnt know how to contact them but knew she needed to.
Peck joyfullycriedas the call began.
Zugay held up the perfectly preserved envelope and said, Its been more than 20 years.
Contino added, Your generosity is still in me, because I’ve been paying it forward ever since.
She expressed her gratitude and explained how she now feels like she can move forward and thrive.
Zugay said to Peck, Thank you for reminding me to be strong.
Peck countered that it is she who is grateful.
I just want to encourage everybody in the world to just be kind, she began.
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.
Yes, we did, Zugay laughed with disbelief.
You did, after all that long time, Peck said.
And we have a lot of catching up to do.
The three women have been taking every opportunity to catch up, soaking in every moment.
Contino assured her, You are an amazing person.
This is all happening because of you.
Even though the sisters were on the lookout for Peck, Peck caught them by surprise.
They excitedly yelled, Hi!
as they rushed to embrace Peck.
Peck hugged them and shouted, My lovelies!
Her cheeks grew red as tears streamed down her face.
This is such a blessing, she said.
They hugged each other tighter.
They later convened in Zugays hotel room, pouring over endless memories.
At CNN Heroes, they got emotional as clips from their Zoom reunion played.
They walked on stage, side by side, to a standing ovation.
I wouldn’t have been nearly as strong as you were.
I wouldn’t have been mature enough to do it…
I’m so proud of you, the two women you’ve become, she said.
Just hearing your voice means so much to me.
I can’t wait to hear about our future days together.
The women plan on having many more reunions, where their families can meet and continue to grow together.
Zugay hopes to have Peck as a guest at her wedding.
Beyond their own relationships, Zugay reflected on how their story has impacted the lives of people everywhere.
Scroll below to see photos of their heartfelt reunion.
Can you help us#FindTracy?
She welcomed@aydazugayinto the US with an unexpected message in 1999.
We’d love to help her decade-long search so she can reunite and thank Tracy in person.
She was on a womans tennis trip to France to watch the French Open!
She is as lovely as this story!
Hope you’ve got the option to meet her!
They recounted that flight all those years ago and shared stories of their lives.
Even though the sisters were on the lookout for Peck, Peck caught them by surprise.
They rushed to embrace Peck.
Peck hugged them and shouted My lovelies!
Her cheeks grew red as tears streamed down her face.
This is such a blessing, she said.
At CNN Heroes, they got emotional as clips from their Zoom reunion played.
They walked on stage, side by side, to a standing ovation.
I wouldn’t have been nearly as strong as you were.
Zugay told Peck, You turned out to be so much more than I ever expected.
Just hearing your voice means so much to me.
I can’t wait to hear about our future days together.
Beyond their own relationships, Zugay reflected on how their story has impacted the lives of people everywhere.
