Community News

PROJECT LIFESAVER SIMCOE CAN HELP VULNERABLE KIDS TOO

THE PROGRAM ISN'T JUST FOR OLDER ADULTS, BUT CAN ALSO HELP PARENTS KEEP TABS ON VULNERABLE CHILDREN WHO WANDER

JANIS RAMSAY jramsay@simcoe.com

Since the tragedy unfolded of Draven Graham, a missing 11-year-old autistic boy in Lindsay, who was later found drowned, Kris

Hughston has received two emails from concerned parents here.

Hughston is a founding partner of Project Lifesaver Simcoe, which uses a battery-operated bracelet with a Gps-style tracking system, to search for either a vulnerable adult or a child who wanders.

"We have kids in the program already," Hughston said, noting three of the 15 clients are children.

The program launched in 2018 after an older woman with dementia from Barrie, Mandy Thompson, went missing from her home in February 2017.

Hughston said the good news is that no one has needed the tracking device for an emergency yet.

"We've had a couple of people walk out of retirement homes and they were reported missing, but somebody brought them back home," Hughston said. "We haven't had to deploy our team."

Hughston said bracelets are placed on the person's dominant hand to prevent them from cutting them off, but some older clients have been crafty finding ways to remove it.

"I found one hanging in a tree, another one was wrapped in tin foil and put in the garbage. We find those within minutes," she said. "Someone used toenail clippers, so we removed those from the client's bedroom. Most people don't have scissors in their room."

The program now includes Innisfil and Bradford, with OPP from Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, The Blue Mountains, Midland, Penetanguishene, Tiny and Tay townships also joining. Talks are underway in New Tecumseth as well, Hughston said.

Funded through community donations, the program just received a contribution from 100 Women Who Care South Simcoe, as well as from a woman whose mother had dementia. She donated $1,000.

Clients can buy a Project Lifesaver bracelet for $500.

For more information, visit projectlifesaversimcoe.ca or call 249-888-0249.

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2022-06-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281586654274870

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