It’s an obvious statement, I know, but someone, somewhere 
knows what happened to Madeleine McCann. And maybe others too. I wonder how they can sleep at night knowing the torment her family is suffering.
One year on from Madeleine’s abduction, I’m afraid I believe the worst. My thoughts are with Gerry and Kate McCann 
who are now doing their utmost to help other families who may one day find themselves in this terrible situation by urging an Amber Alert warning system to be set up throughout Europe similar to the American version. It is a system desperately needed.
And my thoughts today are also with Steve Cook’s loving family (pic left) after he vanished in Crete in September 2005. I met them during the march for missing people in London in March. Steve’s disappearance featured on BBC’s Missing Live programme this morning.
In memory of those who are still missing.
One really wonders what happens, you know.
Just what is ‘the worst’? Murdered or sold to some Arab?
It must be so awful not knowing!
Not knowing must be terrible but so would news of her death be. I just can’t imagine how her parents must be feeling a year on and they were obviously very tense in interviews today. Poor little girl, whatever happened…. Ellee, this post was mentioned on Sky News about 5 mins ago. Well done for highlighting the issue of the missing for a year.
Welshcakes, I’m just back from a tortuous parents’ evening so I missed Sky News; tortuous because it was so prolonged and 2 teachers left before we saw them!
And it’s not me you should be saying well done to, but the McCanns for highlighting this issue for the other grieving families of missing children after suffering their own terrible loss.
I emailed Welshcakes about what Sky News said about my post and she replied: “It was on Martin Stanford’s programme about the most clicked stories online at 8.30 pm-ish. It showed a screenshot of the post and quoted your post title.”
I’m amazed.
Just so many of these cases, with no resolution. It’s just heartbreaking.
Ellee congratulations for making the news. You have done a wonderful job of keeping this and other missing children in people’s thoughts and now obviously even more.
An an unceasing living hell for her parents. I can’t bear to think of it.
Let’s hope not unceasing for the poor child. I think by ‘the worst’ Ellee means either a quick and merciful end OR abduction into a family who are looking after her well – in that case I agree Arab or otherwise, Steven.
The coverage of this case is both racialist and class driven. Of all the tragedies going on in the world, including the accidental immolation of scores of brown babies by coalition forces, this is just one of them.
But you must never EVER abduct the child of white doctors. This will achieve market domination of news coverage. Credit to Ellee for bringing attention to ALL abductions.
JMB and Kevin, I shall continue doing what little I can for all families of missing people, and I know the McCanns would like to see other organisations do the same too.
I found this message on an American website,it sums up how all parents of missing children truly feel,something that thankfully most of you will never have to endure.
Thanks Elle for your continued support of the missing.
From team hope website to all parents of the missing
I too am the parent of a missing child. I truly know what it means to miss your child so badly that you ache inside, to cry until it is impossible to cry another tear and to feel guilty that the tears won’t come. I have also felt the guilt that comes with laughter and the overwhelming aloneness that no one ever understands. I live with a deep, deep sorrow that threatens to overtake me — I feel that if I cannot hold it at bay I will cross some invisible line and simply never make it back.
And yet, I have survived. In spite of the fact that sometimes I wish I would not. I simply do. Finding a balance between the unbelievable pain & sadness and the ability to survive becomes our life issue. To fight for our children we have to survive. In spite of the pain. In spite of the sadness. In spite of the scum that lives and breathes when we do not know if our children live and breathe. And if by some chance our children do not make it home, and there is no hope for them, then we fight to convict and eradicate the person who stole them from us. It is for all of these things that we must survive. We must also survive because if we don’t, then the person who took our child wins. And it is my firm belief that the person who took my child will not steal one more thing from my family.
A reporter interviewed me the other day. They wanted to do a ‘personal’ story on who I really am, deep down inside. 🙂 They would all be amazed if they saw how scared I am sometimes, how very, very sad. Everyone says to me “You are the strongest person I have ever met.” Sometimes I think I will just punch the next person who says that in the nose! The reporter asked me lots of personal questions, which I basically sidestepped, and then asked “What do you do when you are all alone?” My answer? Cry. I know you understand what it means to cry tears that no one else understands. The tears you hold inside that threaten to explode at any given moment, but you only release when you are all alone. But even those tears are part of our survival.
I am proud of you for hanging in there as long as you have. You are not crazy. You are not alone. I wish that all of us weren’t here, but we are. And now, we are all here for each other. We understand the feelings, the anger, the sadness, the need to laugh and the out-of-control ride of this huge and powerful roller coaster.
If you don’t already, I would encourage you to make a journal of the things going on around you, both good and bad. When the lovely, warm memories surface, write them down. When the terrible thoughts, feelings and events overtake you, write them down. Writing things down gives you some control over events that otherwise seem to be beyond your control.
I am sharing my HOPE with you today. I want you to use it until you feel strong enough to stand on your own again. But please remember that you are not alone anymore. I am here. All of our parent volunteers at Team HOPE are here for you. We are only a phone call or an email away.
Sharing in your hope,
Team HOPE
PAPP, Thank you for sharing your personal feelings with me about your very tragic loss, I’m so sorry for you, and for other families in the same position. I know I would be feeling exactly the same, I can totally empathise. I hope one day there will be good news for you.
[…] My thoughts are with all the families of all missing children. […]