The King family of Belmont froze with fear last weekend as they prayed that little Hadashah McRee would return home unharmed after she disappeared for more than 24 hours without a trace.{{more}}

Hadashah, the adopted daughter of Gemma King of Belmont, was sent to spend a few days with her biological grandmother Eunice Rouse, who resides at Questelles, on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009. She was expected to return home on Saturday, September 5th, 2009, but did not.

In an interview with SEARCHLIGHT last Wednesday afternoon, Gemma related the story of the turn of events that had her and several relatives and friends on edge as they searched feverishly for Hadashah.

Until Friday, September 4th, 2009, Gemma thought Hadashah was at Questelles, while Hadashah’s biological mother Gracelyn Timm and biological grandmother thought she was at Belmont.

However, on Saturday, September 5th, 2009, when her adopted grandmother Isola King went to meet Hadashah at the Kingstown open market where her biological mother sells, she was told that Hadashah had left for Belmont since the day before.

“Sola said ‘no that can’t be because Hadashah is not in Belmont’ and it was said ‘Yes, she was sent home since yesterday at about 3 o’clock’. That is when the whole thing started to turn into a tale spin,” said Gemma.

“My mom went back on a van and hustled back to Belmont because there is a chance she could have been at the neighbours. Nobody saw Hadashah. I took a photo and I went down all by the bus stop asking everybody if they saw her and but no one knew where to find her,” said Gemma.

The adopted mom said: “I went into a panic attack because the next thing I am thinking is that somebody rape her or kill her whatever. Everybody was now panicking and I was now blaming myself, saying I should not have sent her to the grandmother. I just lost it.”

Gemma, an employee of the National Lotteries Authority, is adamant that someone should have called to say that Hadashah, a grade four pupil of the CW Prescod School, was coming home earlier.

“One of the reasons why I panicked was because the police were not helping. I asked them if they are going to give us a help to search for her, they said they do not know where to begin,” Gemma recalled.

She said a team of her relatives and friends formed search parties and went to Vermont, Peniston, Kingstown, Belmont, and Fairhall.

Hadashah was found safe and sound on Saturday at approximately 8 p.m. at one of Isola’s friends in Fair Hall. Gemma said that Hadashah, who celebrated her ninth birthday on Friday, September 4th, had spent a day at that home previously, but had never slept there.

“When I questioned Hadashah as to ask how she ended up in Fairhall, she said ‘It was raining a lot, so she did not see her mom, so she asked a conductor if there is any van going to Mespo and the man show her a big bus and tell her that will take her,” said Gemma, noting that Hadashah went into the van apparently by mistake and ended up in Fairhall.

“Now it was dark and she couldn’t find her way back from Fairhall to Belmont and my mom’s friend met her on the road crying and they took her in, but the lady did not call us, although she had my mom’s number to say Hadashah is there,” said Gemma.

Gemma stated that Hadashah was taken to the doctor and everything is ok.

She was found in the Fairhall area by a search party which included her biological mom.

“I don’t want to go through this thing again…I would not wish this on my enemy,” said Gemma.