Daughter Found Homeless And Freezing After Escaping Treatment

During the holidays we try to get the family to gather, no matter the problems that lie between, to celebrate the important things.

This holiday season, we are to count our blessings and see to it that an environment of love is promoted.

But that is not always so easy, especially if your family is far away, or you don’t even know where they are like one family from North Dakota.

A young woman, Alice Crawford, was missing for months after disappearing through a struggle with addiction.

Her family desperately wanted to be reunited with Alice, but they didn’t even know where to start. 

That is until an unexpected clue dropped in their laps, just in time for the holidays. 

Yahoo Lifestyle reports:

This week, Jill Rosenow of Dickinson, North Dakota, hugged her 25-year-old daughter, Alice Crawford, whom she hadn’t seen in nearly three months, after Crawford moved to Denver and cut off contact. In late October, Rosenow spotted her daughter in a 9 News segment about how the homeless survived a recent snowstorm. The mom flew to Colorado, pounding the pavement in search of her daughter.”

The sudden disappearance from Alice was not a surprise. She had been dealing with addiction for years after trying to “self-medicate” mental health issues, Rosenow reports to Yahoo.

It was back in August when Alice left her apartment without paying, abandoning her entire support system to flee recovery.

This wasn’t the first time Alice had acted out in fear of facing her addiction. 

A few years back, Alice was found by a hired private detective in a Texas hotel room, and Rosenow was able to bring her home. 

But this time had proven more difficult.

Alice had contacted her mother from Colorado using unknown numbers to let her know she was alive and that her ID had been stolen. 

Rosenow tried to get an address from Alice so she could send her birth certificate, but Alice could not supply one. 

Yahoo Lifestyle reports on Rosenow’s pleas:

I said, ‘Alice, I have your birth certificate, can I have your address to mail it?’ I also offered to have someone give her money in person. She wouldn’t tell me.”

Now we know the reason why. Alice had been living on the cold streets of Colorado, homeless, but not forgotten. 

Seeing Alice in a 9 News report was nothing short of miraculous, giving her mom a hope she hadn’t felt in awhile. 

According to Yahoo Lifestyle, Rosenow “barely slept and developed tachycardia, a condition that makes the heart beat faster”, and “felt hopeless that her daughter would surface safely.”

In the news report, Alice told journalist Marc Sallinger that she had given her jacket to a friend, and that she slept in unsavory places.

“I sleep behind the dumpster because you stay out of the wind and some of the snow doesn’t fall on you,” said Crawford, adding, “We don’t even sleep at night. We have to wait until the sun is out to sleep because we’re too damn cold. You have to constantly move around.”

Could you imagine your daughter in this position?

Rosenow and her mother, who walks with a cane, went to Colorado to find their beloved family member. 

After scouring the streets, sometimes up until 2 am, they finally got word that Alice had been found at Union Station.

This family was extremely blessed to have found their homeless daughter, and for her to be willing to come home and face the reality of her condition. 

Not all families are so privileged. Dealing with a loved one with addiction is one of the most difficult trials you can face.

Addiction needs to be addressed immediately and without judgement. Seeking professional help for consistency and accountability. 

The holidays are a time where we can take note of the progress made in one’s journey to a healthy and whole individual.

Please let us know in the comments section if you have had to deal with a family member struggling with addiction and how they are doing this holiday season.