Li Jingzhi of China spent 32 years searching for her son, Mao Yin. Here’s what happened:
Mao Yin was kidnapped in 1988 at the age of two from a hotel in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, in northwest China. He was snatched away while his father was fetching him some water and was later sold in the black market to another family.
Li Jingzhi and her husband, Mao Zhenjing, spent the next three decades searching for their missing son. Li Jingzhi even quit her job to search for her son, distributing over 100,000 flyers and appearing on TV shows to raise awareness. Her efforts helped 29 other families find their missing children.
After 32 years, in the year 2020, the police received a tip-off, and facial recognition technology, coupled with DNA tests, confirmed Mao Yin’s identity. He was reunited with his biological parents in a public ceremony in May 2020, where they were surrounded by the media and a crowd of people.
“I don’t want to be separated from him anymore,” said Li, who was informed on Mother’s Day that her long-lost son had been found. “This is the best gift I have ever got on Mother’s Day,” she said during a press conference that was streamed on state broadcaster CCTV.
Mao Yin, now an interior designer, plans to spend time with his biological parents before returning to his life. He expressed uncertainty about his future but gratitude for being reunited with his family.
What is Amber Alert?
Amber Alert is a public notification system used to disseminate information about missing children who are believed to be in imminent danger. The Amber Alert was first created in reference to nine-year-old Amber Rene Hagerman, who was abducted and later found murdered in Arlington, Texas, on January 17, 1996. The system has since been adopted by all 50 states.
The system is designed to quickly alert the public and law enforcement agencies about potential child abductions, with the goal of facilitating a rapid response and increasing the chances of a safe recovery.
Amber Alerts are broadcast through various channels, including Radio and TV stations, mobile phones (via emergency alerts), social media, electronic highway signs, etc.
Alerts typically include description of the missing child, description of the suspected abductor or vehicle, and last known location.
Amber Alerts involve cooperation between law enforcement agencies, media outlets, and other organizations to quickly spread the word and gather information.
The Amber Alert system has been instrumental in helping to locate missing children and bring perpetrators to justice. The US programme has been credited with contributing to the recovery of over 1,200 children as of December 2023.
Many countries and regions around the world have adopted similar programmes.
Image: The US Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp in 2006 to honour the Amber Alert programme dedicated to the rapid recovery of abducted children. Courtesy USPS.