Volunteer who found missing girl with Down syndrome in Pittsburgh l Jamie's Dream Team l Jan 6 2024

Volunteer who found missing girl with Down syndrome in Pittsburgh l Jamie's Dream Team l Jan 6 2024 - http://www.jamiesdreamteam.org

By Antoinette DelBel, WPXI-TV
January 06, 2024 at 11:33 pm EST

PITTSBURGH — A West Mifflin teen has been found safe in downtown Pittsburgh after she was reported missing Friday morning, Jan. 5. Kayla Durler, 17, has special needs, and the situation was getting dire as temperatures dropped and the snow started to fall.

Community members stepped up to find Durler Saturday afternoon and reunite her with her parents. She had been missing for more than 30 hours and was hungry but seemingly okay.

“It was probably the most intense change of emotions I’ve ever felt,” said Rebecca Bykoski of Pittsburgh.

Bykoski spotted the teen, who has Down syndrome, around 3:30 Saturday afternoon after an hours-long search in the cold with dozens of other volunteers.

“I started looking through alleys, behind garbage cans,” Bykoski said. “I was getting to the point where I was feeling very defeated and saddened and super worried because now it’s turning dark; it’s cold.”

Bykoski said she ended up finding Durler in plain sight, standing in front of a retail shop, DK Pittsburgh Sports on Fifth Avenue.

“I ran up to her and I said, ‘Kayla, oh my gosh are you okay?’ I said, ‘We’ve been looking for you. There have been so many people looking for you,’” Bykoski said. “I asked her if she was okay. She said, ‘Yes.’ I asked her if she had been scared and she said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Would you like a hug?’ and we had a hug.”

Bykoski bought Durler some food and said she didn’t seem hurt or traumatized.

Durler was then checked out by medics and Allegheny County Police said she appeared to be okay.

The teen disappeared Friday morning after her bus driver dropped her off at Sto-Rox High School even though the school closed for the day.

Police said she then took a PRT bus downtown.

Jamie Ward, the founder of Jamie’s Dream Team, started a small search party for Durler Friday night. By the next morning, the group of six volunteers had expanded into 100 volunteers handing out flyers across the entire city.

“Those volunteers were unbelievable,” Ward said. “They were coming out by the dozens and just wanting to help.”

Ward said she was thankful to the volunteers and added that many of them came together with a common bond of knowing someone with special needs.

“This girl needed to be found, and somebody had to help,” she said. “Somebody had to do something.”

More at: https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/volunteer-who-found-missing-girl-with-down-syndrome-pittsburgh-shares-details-search/LPYM6TXTFVEORO2BMRGOE6H7OM/

Jamie’s Dream Team mission is to offer hope when there is little, to ease the burden caused by serious illness, injury, disability, trauma, or catastrophic events and to finally celebrate individual differences by acknowledging dreams as possibilities.
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Purpose: The purpose of Jamie’s Dream Team is to provide assistance and/or make distributions to or on behalf of qualifying individuals who are handicapped, disabled, terminally ill, severely injured or suffering from a serious medical condition, disease, or trauma.

For more information about Jamie's Dream Team please got to http://www.jamiesdreamteam.org or e-mail us at info@jamiesdreamteam.org
On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jamiesdreamteam
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