Lend Me an Ear

 Please share: Thank you.

911 Operator answers a call.

“911 – what is your emergency?”

A mother is crying hysterically.

“Help! God, Please help me - my child is missing – he’s runoff.”

911 Operator asks questions:

“Was he abducted? Kidnapped?”

Mother still distraught, sobbing, pleading.

“No. He just ran off. He’s autistic and nonverbal – he’s only eight years old.”

 

At some point in this conversation, besides the plea for help of a young mother asking local authorities to assist her in finding her child who has run off, the call is downgraded.

It’s not a kidnapping.

It doesn’t seem to be foul play

There is little the police can do if no crime was committed.

The plea for help – isn’t enough to get the right resources triggered.

 

Why? Because there is nothing set in place. No laws, no organizations can spring to action to help a mother whose child has run away or runoff.

Why? Children run off all the time. They want to play or are angry and show out, and sometimes – they have no sense of danger.

But what if that child is autistic? What if that child has no means to communicate to those who approach asking - Why are you by yourself? Would a person even do that? Approach a child who was alone even if they looked lost? 

People are just as fearful of being accused of ‘Anything relating to children.’ So they ‘Look the other way’ or say to themselves – ‘That child is no concern of mine.’

We become desensitized. We aren’t a community and certainly not a village.

But what if by a simple alert - we could become that: ‘A million pairs of eyes looking out?’

What category does this child fall into when a call for help is initiated?

The police will respond. But is it a timely response? Once they get the child’s description – do they have resources to look for a needle in a haystack.

 Why isn’t there an immediate need by our community to already utilize a system that is set in place just for these type of incidents – The Amber Alert - AMBER Alerts have an object: it is to increase extra eyes and ears by the thousands, even millions; to help and listen and look out in their communities increasing the safe return of a child that was abducted or apprehended.

 How is this not addressed for children diagnosed with autism or children at risk who are known runners or health concerns that time is of the essence that a child is located?

 As I search resources available on the internet, I write this plea in hopes some knowledgeable party will see this and know exactly what can be done. If this plea gets before legislation or a political activist can assert the narrative, ‘Something must be done.’ 

That there is substantial evidence to suggest that we believe our children should be cared for.

This need has as much relevance to the fundamental sensibility of anyone that has young children. 

More ‘Alerts’ can address this easily - ‘can funding be an excuse to object to placing a price on our children’s safety? 

The beacon is already set in place. The way to address what a police force lacks in resources; staffing, but they have readily available resources already set in place - available. 

Our young children must be protected by a community that can become a ‘Villiage’ when that moment is needed most. 

Do not let another child walk the street with millions of eyes that can search for what is right in front of them. 

Our ‘awareness’ can become ramped up immediately, knowing that somewhere a young child is alone, possibly frightened, unable to get back home or needing medical attention or all of the above.  

Please allow us to help bring a child home safely. Those of us that are parents ‘Know’ this fear. The unrest within our hearts becomes like a beacon to our souls. 

‘What if that is my child?’ 

We can do more. We can become a village if given the tools.  

 

Please help. Please let us find a way where the AMBER alert that is already in existence is extended and replaced with new legislation to assist Children at High Risk as well to include those who are Autistic, in need of Immediate Medical care, and or Any child that is age ten, and under that are Missing for 24 hours even if they have none of the above risks.

Give our community a means to add those million extra eyes to save our children from suffering horrible deaths, who never come home. Like my eight-year-old cousin, who was autistic and nonverbal – ‘Runner.’ And drowned in neighborhood apartment’s pool because it didn’t have fencing.

Even more tragic than ending?

Those millions of eyes never knew to look for Keydall LaShawn Jones, age 8. May his soul rest in peace. ‘Feb 13, 2013 – May 2021’

 

Gloria Sanders-Williams 

(A plea to all who have experienced the ‘fear’ when you don’t know where your child is.)