The parents and family of the 11 year old girl who disappeared from her San Bernardino home over the weekend have thanked all those who responded to their call for help in search of their daughter.
In a FaceBook post they said that Sunday November 29, will be a day they will never forget as parents when they woke up to find a missing daughter Leativaosalafai “Tiva” Nua.
“We are beyond relieved and grateful to share that Leativa is safe and has been admitted for care at our local Loma Linda Hospital. “
Leativa was found by some of their neighborhood residents at about 11PM Sunday and immediately called 911.
“There are no words to express our gratitude to our community for responding in our time of need. There are a million horrible scenarios that went through our minds yesterday during our search, and as it turns out, our daughter Leativa left our house without the aid of anyone else.
“She is distraught and extremely saddened, and we have welcomed the assistance of many professionals to identify and address any issues that our daughter is going through and also commit to providing the best family and home environment for her and the rest of our children to grow up happy and healthy. “
They said throughout Sunday their faith was tested many times as the seconds passed without finding Leativa, but “we were overwhelmed with kindness and LOVE, and we have been blessed with an amazing support group: our families and friends that drove from all over Southern California to help us search for Leativa, our families, friends and strangers from all over the world that worked the social media channels to share our pleas for help while holding a zoom prayer vigil throughout the day into night yesterday. “
They thanked the many community organization, churches, and volunteer groups and media outlets that spread the word and helped in the serarch for their daughter, including the Loma Linda University School of Mediicne where Leativa’s mother Florence is studying, schools that their children attend and neighbors and community memebrs.
“They showered us with food, drinks, called us or stopped by with tips and information. They prayed for our family and also shared words of comfort and helped to share our desperate call. “
They gave special thanks to Councilman Daly and the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department that worked the case to find Leativa, “They never gave up and stayed with us until the situation was fully assessed on what happened to our daughter.”
Their message concludes, “Today starts a new chapter for our family, and we humbly ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers. This experience has reemphasized the need to be more aware of our children’s thoughts, their feelings and their mental state especially during this very strange year that we are going through. Clearly, we need to be more aware of the various struggles faced by our children, including mental and emotional health, the resources available for their care and the improvements we as parents could use to provide the environment they need.”
