In the 18 months since their daughter vanished, Mike and Sandra Stalman have lived in limbo — their lives on hold — never knowing when the call might come to tell them their daughter is dead.
“Every time we read the paper and we see ‘missing remains’ or ‘body found in river’ we phone the police,” said Mike Stalman, whose daughter Brittany disappeared on Nov. 13, 2006.
“It happens a lot in and around Vancouver. There are so many missing people, so many missing kids. It’s just devastating.”
Brittany was 17 when she was last seen at her house in North Delta. She left the house without her purse and wallet.
On Saturday, Protect Our Children, a non-profit society that supports at-risk children, launched Brittany’s Bracelet campaign in her name.
The hope is that the sale of the bright neon green bracelets may result in someone coming forward with information about her disappearance.
Mike said his daughter was a happy, fun-loving and popular child who loved music and dance.
He said she wouldn’t have run away. They don’t believe she’s still alive.
“You have to persevere,” he said. “You have to go on. You always hold up hope. It’s all you can go on. When a child disappears it’s the hardest thing, because you can’t put any closure on it.”
–jeff.hodson@metronews.ca
