How can you ever recover from being raised by the wrong family?
Stolen as a baby, Kamiyah Mobley, 18, has been found with the ‘mum’ who snatched her. Closer’s psychologist Emma Kenny explains how it will affect her
An 18-year-old mystery was solved last week when police discovered missing Kamiyah Mobley – who’d been kidnapped at birth – was living with the woman who snatched her and was raising the girl as her daughter.
Kamiyah was less than a day old when she was taken from hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, by Gloria Williams, 51, who posed as a nurse. She’d suffered a miscarriage a week before the abduction.
Social worker Williams then passed Kamiyah off as her own daughter, calling her Alexia Kelly Manigo.
LIVING A LIE
The breakthrough came last week after police received a new tip-off which led them to Williams. She was arrested and charged with kidnapping, and in the days that followed Kamiyah met her biological parents Shanara Mobley, 34, and Craig Aiken, 41. It’s since emerged Kamiyah may have discovered she was abducted two years ago.
But despite the shocking revelation, Kamiyah has stood by Williams – who has two biological children – and is currently still living in the family home. She said: “She will always be my mum. I understand what she did was wrong, but don’t lock her up.”
Closer psychologist Emma Kenny explains it will be difficult for Kamiyah and her biological family to cope. She says: “Everything Kamiyah knew is a lie and although she seems a welladjusted girl who’s had a good upbringing, the reality will hit her hard when it really sinks in.”
THERAPY SESSIONS
Emma adds: “Kamiyah’s now faced with having to leave the family she thought she knew. She may struggle to trust others and form relationships in the future.
“Kamiyah will also feel conflicted emotionally. She’ll still feel loyal towards Williams, but she may also feel guilty towards her biological family for staying in contact with her abductor.”
Emma explains: “If Kamiyah has a family of her own, the severity of her mum’s crime may dawn on her and then she’ll find it hard to understand how Williams could have been so cruel. Therapy is a must.”
Kamiyah is still coming to terms with what has happened. Talking about meeting her biological parents, she said: “I feel I do owe them that – to give them a chance to get to know me. When you find out you have another family out there, it’s just more love.”
And Kamiyah’s biological parents, who have split up, are hoping to forge a bond with Kamiyah too.
Craig says: “It’s going to be hard for her to turn this into a positive. She’s got very mixed emotions about the woman who raised her. But we are going to be there for her – this is just the start of a wonderful future.”