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.
Denne historien er fra December 09, 2019-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
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Denne historien er fra December 09, 2019-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FAST & THRIFTY DINNERS
Filling family meals to save you time and money
ARE VIRAL FITNESS TRENDS WORTH THE HYPE?
Keen to know if the workouts she sees online can actually make her fitter, Rachel Tompkins, 44, gives them a try
GO OUT OF SEASON
While some European cities seem to go into hibernation over winter, others just get better in the colder months
MY LIFE IN MUSIC
Monica Cafferky, 55, reveals how certain tunes bring back special memories
THE DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
After trying diets without success, Breanne Concannon, 31, was left feeling hopeless
MY TOY ΒΟΥ KEEPS ME YOUNG
For Trish Hughes, 44, the thrills of being married to a man 20 years younger is worth all the judgement
'THAT'S NOT MY BABY'
Lying in the hospital bed, my husband Michael had tears of happiness in his eyes as he showed me a photo on his phone. 'Here she is,' he said proudly. 'This is our beautiful baby girl.'I stared at the photo and shook my head. 'No, that's not my baby,' I said. 'There must be a mistake.'It was August 2010 and I'd not long before had an emergency caesarean. I'd not had a chance to see Winnie when she arrived as she'd been whisked away for tests because she was nearly two months premature.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Hayley, 45, has her son to thank for crucial evidence
'I'D LOVE TO DO EASTENDERS'
Loose Women's Linda Robson on the daytime show, dating and her next career move
Beckhams INSIDE THEIR PROPERTY EMPIRE
We take a look at the power couple's posh pads
