Lacking La Palma lady’s household speaks out – NBC Los Angeles

There was a heartbreaking replace within the case of Geetaben Patel, who went lacking from her dwelling in La Palma again in October. After an in depth search lasting greater than two months, police found her deceased only a block away from the place she was final seen.

Patel’s disappearance devastated her household, who tirelessly looked for her, even hiring personal investigators to assist within the pressing effort. Now, her son, Sagar Patel, is talking out with a heartfelt message in regards to the significance of psychological well being consciousness.

“I can’t say anything however thanks from the underside of my coronary heart,” Sagar expressed, crammed with emotion. “It actually helped me and my dad maintain hope, maintain religion that we’d discover her.”

Geetaben Patel was discovered on November 15, ending a search that spanned from her La Palma neighborhood to Downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row. Based on La Palma police, the 58-year-old was found in a neighbor’s storage shed, the place she had by some means ended up earlier than her passing.

“Simply [feeling] a bunch of unhappiness, however a minimum of me and my dad received some closure – and my household,” Sagar mentioned by way of tears. “It’s not the end result we wished, however a minimum of we all know she’s in a greater place now.”

Sagar believes his mom’s disappearance was linked to a psychological well being disaster. She had been recognized with schizophrenia and had stopped taking her prescribed treatment a few month earlier than she went lacking.

Now, he’s utilizing his grief to advocate for psychological well being consciousness, urging households to assist their family members even when it’s difficult.

“Undoubtedly have a dialog about it—don’t draw back from it,” he emphasised. “Be certain your family members are getting the assistance they want. They could not wish to settle for the assistance, however simply maintain making an attempt… maintain preventing.”

Just lately, Sagar and his household returned from visiting his mom’s hometown in India, the place they honored her reminiscence. However for him, that is just the start of how he plans to hold on her legacy.

“One of many issues that I made a promise to myself,” he shared. “I wish to discover a manner to assist different households, simply in order that this doesn’t occur to another person.”