After the Titanic disaster occurred on April 14, 1912, brothers Michele and Edward Navratil (ages 3 and 5, respectively) found themselves alone after having lost their father. The children were in dire need of care and protection, so NYSPCC was called upon to ensure the children were cared for, by providing food, shelter, and medical attention.
NYSPCC also led an international search for the children’s relatives and eventually managed to reunite the boys with their mother, Michele, on May 12, 1912.