Facebook group members help locate missing girl

A mother credits social media and a group of strangers for helping to find her daughter on Saturday.

The 11 year old suddenly disappeared from her front yard while doing yardwork.

“Absolute fear,” is how Wendy Kitzman describes the feeling when her daughter didn’t turn up within a few minutes.

She called 911 and at the same time posted a photo of her in the North Springs Mamas Facebook group.

The group has more than 14,000 members who typically share photos of lost pets, items for sale, organize play groups, or just discuss neighborhood issues.

Page Administrator Laronda Anderson said she wanted it to be, “Somewhere that moms knew that they could come and shop and maybe meet other women.”

Within minutes of Kitzman’s post, other group members were sharing it, commenting on it, or offering to help.

“It was my estimation that we probably had 60 moms in cars who were already out taking their kids places, or sitting at home and jumped in their car,” she said.

It turns out her daughter had grown tired of yardwork and walked to a nearby Target in protest.

It was there that a group member spotted her about three hours later and called police.

The responding officer’s wife had also seen the post and send him a photo, so by that time, he knew exactly what she looked like.

“It’s nothing short of a miracle that she was found as quickly as she was, and it would not have happened without that group.”

“We have such a community of people that just go beyond in what they need to do,” said Anderson.

Co-administrator Dawn Jack added, “This story proved what an amazing community we have.”

It also proved the power of social media combined with the compassion of some dedicated mothers.

Click here to join the North Springs Moms Facebook group.

Click here to fing out more about the North Springs Mamas Foundation, a non-profit formed to assist needy kids.