This mom wants you to know about 'elopement'
When 2-year-old Jermaine Jones slipped out of his home earlier this month while his aunt was showering, it was not the first time he had wandered away. The boy, who had autism and was nonverbal, had slipped away a month earlier.
When Jermaine's mother, Victoria Jones, learned her son had vanished again, she called police, setting off a furious two-day search of the area near the family's home near Lansing, Michigan, to bring the boy home with helicopters, police dogs, drones, a dive team and more than 500 volunteers.
But by late afternoon of the next day, a parent's nightmare was confirmed: Jermaine was found dead in a nearby river.
👋 Nicole Fallert here, and welcome to Your Week, our newsletter exclusively for Paste BN subscribers. This week, we talk with Paste BN breaking news reporter Cybele Mayes-Osterman about her conversation with Jermaine's mother about how parents of children with autism and other intellectual or developmental disabilities must plan for a child wandering away.
But first, don't miss these stories made possible by your Paste BN subscription (and keep scrolling for more must-reads from Paste BN):
- 'Kidnapped from Israel' flyers draw controversy.
- Samsung fridge doesn't work? You're not alone.
- America's broken pharmacy system is in revolt over burnout and errors.
- Is a recession still looming?
- Medical exceptions to abortion bans often exclude mental health conditions.
- Hip-hop has a new sisterhood of young female artists.
Stop and notice those around you
"Elopement," as it's known in the disability community, happens with almost half of children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to a study in 2016. Also called "wandering," this happens when children or adults leave unnoticed from a caregiver or a secure area for a number of reasons: They may see something in their environment they are fixated on, or they're in a situation that's overwhelming.
When she reached out to Jermaine's mother, Victoria Jones, Mayes-Osterman wanted to make it clear the interview would be about raising awareness about elopement.
"We have a hard time battling with reality and feeling like this is just a dream," Jones told Paste BN. "But at least we try to tell ourselves that now we have to at least help other parents, because it's so easy to happen so quickly."
In her reporting, Mayes-Osterman quickly found there is little information about wandering.
"I saw news stories about times when it happened, but not a lot of information about why this is going on that would help an audience understand," she said, adding she "can't imagine" what it took for Jones to share her story but hopes it makes a difference.
Another key lesson Jones wanted readers to know from the story is the importance of stopping and checking when things just don't look right: More than one person told police they had seen Jermaine walking down the roads − but kept driving. If only they had stopped to check, things might be different today, she said.
"Even though we're all in our own worlds, it's about being able to recognize and check in with people around you," Mayes-Osterman said. "It's about taking in little moments."
Thank you
This story represents the unique and important work of our newsroom. Thank you for supporting our journalism with your subscription. Our work wouldn't be possible without you.
Best wishes,
Nicole Fallert