‘I want my daughter alive’

The last five days have been very distressing for Denise Anglin, who is desperately hanging on to hope that her daughter, 29-year-old Danielle Anglin, will return home alive.

Danielle, a grade four teacher at the St Peter Claver Primary School in Kingston, has been missing since Monday when she left their home on Sun Drive in Hellshire, St Catherine, for work.

Denise said she became concerned when her daughter, who usually alerts her when she is about to leave the school, did not call.

As it got later, she began fearing the worst.

“I couldn’t sleep, I sat up until four o’clock in the morning,” she said.

The following morning she was informed that Danielle, who she described as a dedicated teacher, did not turn up for work. Her husband and Danielle's father, Michael Anglin, filed a missing person report.

On the morning Danielle went missing, her mother said she was running late for work. She said her daughter usually takes the bus from Naggo Head to work and a taxi up to their house that they have been living in for the last three months. But that morning, Denise said she heard she was picked up by a taxi that she had used at least two times before.

“I want back my daughter alive, anything it costs … mi want fi see her alive,” the anxious mother said before breaking down in tears.

The mother of four said Danielle is her only daughter and they have a close-knit relationship.

Just last week Monday, Danielle celebrated her birthday and, two days later, she was showered with gifts from her students as they celebrated her on Teachers’ Day.

She said her daughter was not involved in a romantic relationship.

“I don’t know nothing that went wrong, and I don’t know what is the reason because Danielle and I have very good relationship, so is her father, everywhere is me and Danielle, everywhere,” she said.

“From Monday till now mi cya see mi daughter … my daughter is always with me, she is a good behaving girl, my daughter doesn’t have a boyfriend at that age …that’s why I feel it more seh if dem rape har,” she said.

Followed in her footsteps

A retired teacher, Denise said Danielle was keen to follow in her footsteps to help mould the minds of the nation’s children.

“She used to go when I’m teaching and come visit the school. I am an example, that was her writing when she said ‘I would like to be a teacher’; she watched her mother and her mother is a dynamic teacher,” she said.

A despairing Denise said the anguish of not knowing whether her daughter is alive is crippling.

“It terrible, terrible, mi cry, mi cry, mi cry, last night was the most time that I cried and mi husband held mi and seh ‘don’t badda break down because you were trying to keep up’.

Reports from the Hellshire police are that Anglin was last seen at home about 5:50 a.m. Monday. All efforts to contact her since have been futile. The police are encouraging anyone who may know where she is to contact them.

Meanwhile, president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, Leighton Johnson, said the organisation is distraught at Danielle’s disappearance and is pleading with the public to provide any information that could assist with her safe return home, to the police.

He said the school community is traumatised and is doing their part to assist.

“These are very anxious moments for the school, both staff, colleagues and students alike. The school community has been dismissing early with a view of providing some support to the family members, whatever information they can ascertain to give to the police,” he said.

“At this juncture we really have to keep hope alive, we really hope and trust that she is safe, she is okay, wherever she is,” Johnson added.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com