This story continues to break our hearts.
As the desperate search for 11-year-old Calgary boy Parker Wells stretches on, his family is speaking out with an emotional message that has so many Canadians and observers worldwide hoping and praying for a miracle.
As you’ll recall, the young boy — who is autistic, non-verbal, and neurodivergent — disappeared from his dayhome nearly a week ago, and the massive community effort to find him has only grown larger with each passing day.
Related: Alaskan Bush People Star Says Man Who Helped Look For Missing Brother Is Now STALKING HIM!
And now, in a statement shared on social media on Tuesday, Parker’s loved ones expressed overwhelming gratitude for the incredible response from the public, making it clear that the support they have received has helped carry them through what they described as an unimaginable ordeal.
In part, they wrote:
“First, thank you. The compassion, determination, and truly heroic efforts of this community continue to carry our family through an incredibly painful time. We feel your love, and we are sending it right back to you. … Our hearts are heavy, but our hope and determination remain. THANK YOU for standing together for Parker.”
What an incredibly moving message.
As we’ve been reporting, according to the Calgary Police Service, Parker was last seen at his dayhome in northwest Calgary sometime between 11:08 a.m. and 11:41 a.m. back on July 16, before he eloped. Authorities say he was shirtless, and wearing dark shorts and black noise-cancelling headphones when he disappeared. He is described as approximately 4 feet 11 inches tall, weighing about 90 pounds, with brown eyes and a shaved head.
The search effort has been nothing short of enormous. More than 400 officers have now participated in the investigation while following up on more than 300 tips from the public, per cops according to CTV and others. Officials say thousands of search hours have already been logged, with officers, search-and-rescue teams, canine units, mounted patrols, mountain bike officers, firefighters, railway personnel, and countless volunteers all working together to cover an incredible amount of ground.
On Tuesday afternoon, police also revealed updated information about Parker’s believed movements immediately after he left the dayhome. Based on surveillance video and the investigation so far, authorities believe he traveled northeast toward the Highwood area of Calgary before continuing along Northmount Drive toward Centre Street and McKnight Boulevard. Investigators say he may have doubled back at different points before he was last captured on surveillance video around 12:52 p.m. that day in the Travis Crescent Northeast area.
Also, per Canada’s Global News, one of the more unusual developments in the case came just two days after Parker vanished, when Calgary police obtained special provincial permission to issue an Amber Alert. While officials have emphasized there is still no evidence that Parker was abducted, they believed the extraordinary circumstances justified expanding public awareness as quickly as possible.
Related: Aaron Rodgers Finally Reunites With Family After YEARS-LONG Estrangement, But…
Meanwhile, Parker’s family is continuing to organize volunteer search efforts while sharing updated maps showing where they hope community members will focus their attention. Rather than spreading everyone across an enormous area, they are encouraging volunteers to concentrate their efforts in a specific search zone to maximize efficiency and avoid duplicating work unnecessarily.
Similarly, police are making an appeal to anyone living in the surrounding neighborhoods who may have security camera footage or dashcam video from the time Parker disappeared through the present. Investigators believe even seemingly insignificant video could provide another piece of the puzzle as they continue trying to trace his movements.
The family’s statement concluded with another heartfelt plea for continued vigilance and determination:
“Please remember that re-searching remains important, as conditions can change over time. Parker is a resourceful young man. We do not know exactly where he has travelled or when he may be moving versus sheltering, but we have confidence in the information guiding our current search plan.”
This entire situation is simply devastating.
Our thoughts remain with Parker and everyone who loves him.
You can see the family’s full statement HERE.
[Image via Media handout/Calgary Police Service]
