Shane Bauer's investigation reveals the harrowing experiences of Syrian children who were forcibly separated from their families by the secret police under the Assad regime. Through confidential databases and interviews, Bauer uncovers how children of political prisoners were placed in orphanages, often with their identities concealed and sometimes adopted away, making it nearly impossible for families to reunite. Organizations running these orphanages, including SOS Children's Villages, accepted children directly from secret prisons and, as requested by authorities, kept their presence secret from relatives.

The article follows the story of Laila and Layan Ghbees, sisters detained with their parents and later sent to an orphanage, where they were encouraged to forget their past. Many children like them grew up not knowing their real names or families, with some later forced into military service under new identities. After the fall of Assad, Syrians began searching for answers, and the new government has launched investigations into the fate of the disappeared, but the process is slow and incomplete. The Ghbees family eventually escaped to the United States, but the trauma of separation and loss continues to shape their lives and those of countless other Syrian families.