Messages By: GloriaDenton

Laurie and Don, I can certainly understand all you are going through.Laurie my brotjer was murdered in1985 and he left behind a 3yr old daughter he had custody of.She was returned to her Mother and her young life was hell.At age 12 she came to live with me.She was into thr gang scene.The bloods and the crips.She really didn't understand the true nature, it just seemed cool. I found her older sister right before Easter and she wanted to go see her.I didn't realize I was about to be poisioned for my interference with trying to stop the gang activity at school. Well she tried to kill me.I to this day do not beleive she wanted for me to die.She just wanted to be cool. She had been sexually abused by her previous step-father and others.Later she ran away, and her Mom hid her out. I did find her and I put her in my car and drove her to juvenille hall. I then had her placed in a long term treatment program. She had to earn the right to have even her street clothes and shoestrings. Eventually the counselors  and I brought her Mom and new step-father into the group  theraphy program. My neice spent almost a year there.She was approved for medicade. She was reunited with her Mom with outpatient family counseling.Since I had been awarded guardianship when she came to live with me I released her back to her Mom. The treatment saved my neice and her Mom.A few weeks out at home with her Mom she tried a few of the old tricks. Her Mom put her in her car and drove her back for a 30 day refreshment course. To date she is doing well. Mom still married to step-father and they function as a normal sorts of family. We are somewhat distant as I had to reveal some horrible truths about her,her Mom and my brothers marriage. I am very thankful as is everyone that I finally said,"Enough', and showed her who really was in control. I beleive Mariah has suffered something she is not sharing with you,and too ashamed or scared to say. do not blame her for her emotions and actions. I am not by any means bad mouthing you or Don, however children and adults act out on and by learned behaviors as a rule. Don on another note, greiving the loss of your son.It has been almost 2yrs since my now 32yr old daughter has been seen or heard from.As her Mom I know that I will not see her here on this earth again.She has gone on to be with the Lord. She is my only daughter,my pride and joy.I miss her smell,love,laughter.Our long talks,and our disagreements.She left  behind 2 lil girls ages now 5 and 7yrs.April has been my life since the day I found out that I was pregnant. I am heartbroken so very sad for her, all the things I know that you feel.We beleive she was murdered and thrown down a mineshaft in the Mojave Desert. Tim Miller with Equusearch is going to condduct a search just any day. I dug most of her clothes that were in her suitcase up myself. What a heartbreak. What would april expect me to do??? She depended on me always to make things right for her. And I can serve her no purpose if I let my greif overcome me. I have to be her voice and seek justice for her. She would have me fight for the Missing adults. If I allow the human emotions within to take me over,I would crack up, and I allow the same persons who took her from her girls to take me from them too. I pray and "BELEIVE", cause I need to beleive.And I beleive that I will be reunited with April and will not remember this pain and claim the Lords' strength to give me the courage to face right now,tomorrow,tonight. His word is true,and we can make a choice to "Beleive'. Please allow yourself to beleive that your son is at peace now,nobody can ever harm him. beleive he is with the Lord in Heaven,and that this is only temporary loss. You will soon be together Forever!!!! May God Bless and lead all of you. You will all be in my prayers.Blessings.

Thank-you so much for your comments about April.I meant every word of what I said. Every day people say to me,"You need closure". This is true,however closure is here as she is gone and I know and accept this as hard as it sometimes is. What is closure??What is more final and definite than death itself?? I won't let myself fall into self pity. This is where I know the Lord is in control of me,as I have a peace within me that surpasses all human understandings and it isn't by my strength alone. At times my mind has wondered into the "hows' and whys", this is too painful for me to think about. So--- I just concentrate on what I can do to find Aprils' remains and seek justice for her. I work everyday towards getting a new law passed for Missing Adults to be searched for just as the children. If you would like to help please write to our representitives.Thank-you so much.Gloria

Thank-you so much. My faith and beleiving that April is walking on streets of gold alongside angels with Jesus gives me peace.Maybe she is just asleep and waiting to do this.But I choose to beleive that she is now and I have peace in beleiving.My life will never be the same with the loss of my April.When I dug her clothes up and told her husband my little grandaughter Bradley Elisa 7yrs. old overheard her Dad tell his Dad.The next time I called she answered the phone and all excitedly said,"Meme,so you like found my Mommies clothes!!Well Meme if you could just find my Mommies body then I could like maybe see her one more time and give her a kiss before we have to put her down there!!" This is what breaks my heart and what motivates me to keep my sanity.These precious girls will only know how precious their Mommy was now by me.Pray for these girls and pray that when Tim Miller of EquuSearch and I go out to the mineshaft here real soon that I can find her Mommy. Thank-you

You or actually the boys father needed to be on the phone to child protective services yesterday. DO NOT put this off for another second.It sounds like somebody is neglecting the welfare of these children. Get an attorney.But for the safety of this lil boy and his siblings you need to file for an emergency custody order for this child.Child protective services will do this for you.Call your local agency as soon as you get this.

Mom,when I was reading your post, i didn't read that you were feeling sorry for your son, or Brandon. I picked up that you think these two young men just want to get "high" instead of deal with life. Excuse me,but didn't you say your son has the IQ of a 4th grader?? And you think he is capable of just quitting by choice?? I don't. And I think there is something both of these young men are lacking for. Not saying either set of parents did "anything" wrong in the raising of these young men. The chemical balance within the brain from birth and genetics will cause the preachers son to feel inferior,unwanted,lacking,incapable of expressing or making good choices. Then you add the street drugs and you Mom have a problem that you need to openly,willing address and accept. Blame,fault or reason is really not important. What you can do to see your child surrives this disease "alive' is the most important thing you can do. Leave the blame of self and child out of the addiction and beleive both you and your child can conquer this addiction, and you will. Your child probably never will be the dreamchild you or I anticipated when they were born, but if they know we love them,God loves them and they are worthy of all of our inspiration,compassion,forgiveness,and patience,with no set expectations they will or can overcome this disease. When the last place a child has left to go is home,thats' exactly where that adult child needs to go.Home.And if you disprove of their smoking, have an ashtray on a table on the front porch. This affirms your sincerity as well as your unconditional love, and tomorrow when you get out of bed you will know where your addict child is at,and that they are alive. How do I know all this?? My daughter fought these demons,time and again we went through this. It has now been two years since she disappeared and one of the greatest means of strength I have in facing the obvious is that she always knew she could come home to Momma. I tried everything,and I know I didn't fail her. I was always there getting her help,time and time again she was failed by a system that has become "numb" to addiction,child molestation,and mental illness. I know she is with the Lord and I shall see her again. she is no longer sick and fighting these demons. I would suggest you push the system in every way you can to treat the disease and not judge the person. My best to all of you.

 Who do you know with this "disease"? it doesn't have to be herion. You have had a taste of this issue at some point and you are still pissed and playing the blame game. If not you are the one who "Lives In A Cave"