For about an hour today my world disintegrated and I faced some of my nightmares. My son went missing from a locked fenced back yard. He is learning disabled and nonverbal. In a fit of something he managed to force the double gates open.
Emergency response started looking as soon as I called them, within 15 minutes of him disappearing. We had a time frame because I periodically check on him to make sure he's okay. Within thirty minutes a whole collection of friends and acquaintances started showing up at the house to help us look on foot. I was calling everyone on my phone list regardless of how I knew them although good friends were the first called.
Approximately 15 minutes later one of the helpers that was walking (pacing) with me along the road in front of the house looked up to see my son coming out of a neighbor's house. For whatever reason, their front door had been open and unlocked while no one was home. And for whatever other reason, my son decided to explore their house. And that is, as far as we can determine, where he had been the entire time. Curled up on a bed in one of the back rooms under the blankets.
The adrenaline is stilling crashing out of my system. It will likely be doing so for another day or so.
That is an hour of my life that I would prefer avoid a recurrence of if it is at all possible. Yet at the same time, my prayers were answered even while I panicked. He was safe. He was kept safe even though I did not know where he was. He was safe even though he shut his service dog outside the house when he went in. He was safe.
Thank you seems like too little to say to his guardians who kept him safe until I could be with him again. It seems like too little to say to the emergency workers who searched for 45 minutes or so for him. It seems like too little to say to the friends and acquaintances that came running, as fast as they could, to help look for him. But there are no other words to express the deep gratitude and relief that came not just from finding him, but from knowing that so many would come so fast to help. So Thank You!
I am once again reminded what treasures my life holds in it. I'll try not to need quite such a sledgehammer to the head again any time soon.
I had a similar occurrence in 1989, and I still remember it in detail. I sent the kids out in the back yard to play (two girls, 8 and 9), and when I looked out the window, they were gone.
ReplyDeleteWe lived next door to a school, and they'd often go out there to play, so I walked out to the schoolyard, and there, in the parking lot, I saw one of their little mittens.
I knew they would not have taken off one mitten - voluntarily.
Funny what you remember, but I still remember picking up the mitten, thinking the worst, and feeling a wave of nausea sweep over me.
I called the police and they arrived in about three minutes. Within 10 minutes, we found the girls, over in a different part of the neighborhood.
It seems that they had gotten distracted and wandered off.
That was more than 20 years ago, and I have never forgotten the details of that day.
Leave it to children to scare the *&^# out of you.
Glad to hear your little one was returned safe and sound.
Even today thinking about this makes my whole body and brain freeze.
DeleteRight now friends are helping to create a set of local maps that include details on local water sources and oversized culverts. These are the most dangerous places for our kids, especially those with learning disabilities. There have been six kids with autism to die of drowning within the past couple of months. With the maps we will be able to search locally on foot and be reasonably sure that we don't miss something because it's hidden from easy view.
And extended family has decided to help fund private swim lessons if we cannot find a group swim class this coming Fall. This was a decision that was actually made without knowing about the above deaths.