Traditionally, Christmas is a time for togetherness, yet as you celebrate with lovedones, spare a thought for the UK families for whom this isn’t a reality.
A staggering 186,000 people are reported missing every year – and while most are found within 48 hours, some are never seen again. For the families left behind, the not-knowing is an unbearable torture. And on 25 December, there’ll be no laughter around the dinner table, just an empty place and unanswered questions.
But there is hope – last Christmas, 191 people that charity Missing People appealed for were found safe and well. But for families facing another year without their loved one, hope is all they have to cling to this Christmas.
‘I SPEND EVERY SPARE MOMENT SEARCHING FOR MY DAUGHTER’
Andrea Gharsallah, 56, lives in Worthing, West Sussex. Her daughter, Georgina, 30, has been missing since 7 March 2018.
Squeezing everyone into my flat at Christmas was chaotic, with four grownup daughters arguing how best to roast the potatoes, their partners in the living room and my two grandsons tearing around the place. Yet I’d give anything to have that again, because Christmas for my family will never be the same – not until Georgina comes home.
This story is from the December 09, 2019 edition of WOMAN'S OWN.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 09, 2019 edition of WOMAN'S OWN.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Is it ever OK to lie about your age?
Kaye Adams has done it, and even Mel B jokes that she doesn't believe friend Geri Horner is 51. We ask...
‘I DIDN'T THINK.I'D SEE MUM AGAIN'int ICAT AFAR
MelB on rebuilding her life rebuilding her life after her abusive’ marriage
8 WAYS TO BECOME A MORNING PERSON
Improve body and mind with just a few simple tweaks to your daily routine
WHY YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST LOVE
(laire Dore, 50, learnt a lot from her first serious relationship
WHAT'S THE NAKED ATTRACTION ?
After a host of celebrities admitted to stripping off behind closed doors, Natalie Brown, 43, decided to bare all to find out just what all the fuss was about
MY FURY AT BEING A GRAN AT 52
Shona Sibary was far from excited when her eldest daughter welcomed her first child
A YEAR IN THE MAKING
Many of us shy away from drastic change but for these three women, it was just what they needed
I LOST 6ST AND FOUND THE REAL ME!
Shay Al-Ajami May, 32, was fed up pretending to be happy, so she decided to make it a reality
WHAT DO YOUR FEET SAY ABOUT YOUR HEALTH?
From heart disease to arthritis, here’s what they might be trying to tell you…
HOW CAN WE HELP OUR CHILDREN?
With more young people facing mental-health crises, we investigate what needs to be done