The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
NEW SERIES ON THE HEARTBREAK OF MISSING PEOPLE
Every year thousands of families are left devastated as loved-ones go missing, vanishing without a trace. A special series this week highlights the heartbreak of those left behind – and today Rita Campbell speaks to parents clinging to the hope their daug
It has been almost 20 years since 27-year-old mother Heather Thomson disappeared, leaving a gaping hole at the heart of her family.
But her parents Kenina, 72, and Henry, 75, of Castle Heather Avenue in Inverness, have never given up hope of seeing her again.
Heather, who would now be aged 47, went missing from hospital in Inverness on January 19, 1994.
Her son, who has been brought up by his grandparents, was just a few months old at the time. She had been suffering from bouts of post natal depression but had spent a happy Christmas with her family before she disappeared from Craig Dunain Hospital.
Mrs Thomson, who recently attended a conference in London for families of missing people along with professional researchers, said: “We have never given up hope. We just sortof take everyday as it comes. I would be just so happy to see her.
“From time to time we have contact with the police, but there has been nothing recently. We have regular contact with the missing persons charity.
“I would like to think that she is still in the country. If she is reading this I would ask her to please get in touch, any time of the day or night. We would be
“If she is reading this I would ask her to please get in touch”
very pleased to hear from her.”
Mrs Thomson treasures memories of a lovely, pretty, happy girl who enjoyed being with her friends.
Her brothers, Donald and Alasdair, andher sister, Diane, scour the streets for their sister everywhere they go.
And Alasdair’s eight year-daughter is named after the missing aunt she has never met.
An old school friend of Heather’s maintains she saw and spoke to her in Elgin about 10 years ago. A later search proved fruitless – but Mrs Thomson said the sighting filled the family with new hope, which they have never given up on.
“I was just so pleased to hear of her,” she said.
“The school friend said it was definitely her. I still feel that girl was right. But we haven’t heard a thing since.”
Mrs Thomson thinks about Heather every day and identifies with families left behind whenever she sees a report of a missing person.
“I just feel so sad for them because I know what they are going through,” she said.
“I was speaking to the missing people charity and they sent me an invite to a conference in London so I went with my sister.
“It is a get-together with other people who have missing persons in thefamily.
“It could be comforting and we could learn something out of it. We could learn something more than what’s been done.
“There will be professionals at it, researchers and police.”