{
    SPObject * new_tspan = NULL;
    
    ////////////////////
    // BASE CASE
    ////////////////////
    if (SP_IS_TREF(obj)) {
        
        SPTRef *tref = SP_TREF(obj);
    
        if (tref && tref->stringChild) {
            Inkscape::XML::Node *tref_repr = SP_OBJECT_REPR(tref);
            Inkscape::XML::Node *tref_parent = sp_repr_parent(tref_repr);
            
            SPDocument *document = SP_OBJECT(tref)->document;
            Inkscape::XML::Document *xml_doc = sp_document_repr_doc(document);
            
            Inkscape::XML::Node *new_tspan_repr = xml_doc->createElement("svg:tspan");
            
            // Add the new tspan element just after the current tref
            tref_parent->addChild(new_tspan_repr, tref_repr);
            Inkscape::GC::release(new_tspan_repr);
            
            new_tspan = document->getObjectByRepr(new_tspan_repr);
            
            // Create a new string child for the tspan
            Inkscape::XML::Node *new_string_repr = SP_OBJECT_REPR(tref->stringChild)->duplicate(xml_doc);
            new_tspan_repr->addChild(new_string_repr, NULL);    
            
            //SPObject * new_string_child = document->getObjectByRepr(new_string_repr);
    
            // Merge style from the tref
            SPStyle *new_tspan_sty = SP_OBJECT_STYLE(new_tspan);
            SPStyle const *tref_sty = SP_OBJECT_STYLE(tref);
            sp_style_merge_from_dying_parent(new_tspan_sty, tref_sty);
            sp_style_merge_from_parent(new_tspan_sty, new_tspan->parent->style);
            
            
            SP_OBJECT(new_tspan)->updateRepr();
            
            // Hold onto our SPObject and repr for now.
            sp_object_ref(SP_OBJECT(tref), NULL);
            Inkscape::GC::anchor(tref_repr);
            
            // Remove ourselves, not propagating delete events to avoid a
            // chain-reaction with other elements that might reference us.
            SP_OBJECT(tref)->deleteObject(false);
            
            // Give the copy our old id and let go of our old repr.
            new_tspan_repr->setAttribute("id", tref_repr->attribute("id"));
            Inkscape::GC::release(tref_repr);
            
            // Establish the succession and let go of our object.
            SP_OBJECT(tref)->setSuccessor(new_tspan);
            sp_object_unref(SP_OBJECT(tref), NULL);
        }
    }
    ////////////////////
    // RECURSIVE CASE
    ////////////////////
    else {
        GSList *l = NULL;
        for (SPObject *child = sp_object_first_child(obj) ; child != NULL ; child = SP_OBJECT_NEXT(child) ) {
            sp_object_ref (SP_OBJECT (child), obj);
            l = g_slist_prepend (l, child);
        }
        l = g_slist_reverse (l);
        while (l) {
            SPObject *child = SP_OBJECT (l->data);
            l = g_slist_remove (l, child);
            
            // Note that there may be more than one conversion happening here, so if it's not a
            // tref being passed into this function, the returned value can't be specifically known
            new_tspan = sp_tref_convert_to_tspan(child);
            
            sp_object_unref (SP_OBJECT (child), obj);
        }
    }
    
    return new_tspan;
}