The Search for Robert Woods Jr

Wow!!! What a week but a fantastic ending. By now, Robert Woods Jr is a household name. I personally, have not had the pleasure of meeting Robert, however, his mother is a friend a fellow co-worker with the Caroline County Women of the Moose. When, I received a text Sunday night telling me that Robert was missing and was lost in the woods on Verdon Rd, I was in complete shock. How could you not find this child? How did he wonder away?

Monday morning I came home from work and watched the news and still no sign of Robert. I just knew they would find him while I napped before I had to head back into work Monday night. When I awoke on Monday night there wasn't any sign that Robert was found. I received a text from a good friend, who lives behind Robert and his brother and mother, he told me they were opening the search to the public. He wanted to know if I could help with organizing a search and getting it up on facebook. I didn't hesitate, not only was this a child missing, but it was our child, our families child. We needed to step up to help. I asked Chuck to check with our Administrator and board members to see if we could open our lodge to provide warm food for those searching. Of course, Mac agreed but then Chuck called Fred and Carolyn Coutts, not only were we going to organize at the Lodge, we were going to take coffee, donuts and snacks out to feed the volunteers. After I put everything on facebook, calls started rolling in, Cindy Hall wanted to donate Johnsville Brats she had, which were about 200. We had things planned out, we had another member, Karri Zellerino, making soup and Brian Young organizing food with Walmart in Ashland. Everything was set for the next day.

As I was leaving work I had to tell myself that I needed to stop at Karri's to pick up a pot of soup. Boy, what a pot of soup it, I mean huge. I remember thinking to myself, damn, what is she going to do, feed an army. I drove to Kings Dominion and pulled into the main entrance. It was truly amazing, there was a sea of people waiting in line to be processed. It was an army of people from young (that day there was an age limit of 18) to old, all different kinds of people. I looked and was completely overcome with chills and whelled up in tears and just sobbed like a baby. I just could not believe that strangers and so many were coming out to help us find Robert for his mother. When I got out of the car with the soup, everyone friend I saw I grabbed and hugged. I kept saying we will find him today!

While we were feeding all the volunteers I began to worry about Robert's family. Who was feeding them? I called Betty Mae and she said they had some stuff but not a lot. I told her to let me know when they wanted something and if they wanted to stay out of the media to sneak in and I would make sure they had enough food to take down to Barbara. She did come up and she brought Norma Williams (Robert's maternal grandmother), I remember seeing her walking up and she was carrying a stuffed Micky Mouse. She was giving that to Robert when he was found. She carried that around as she sobbed and prayed for Robert's safe return. We told her we were here for them and if they needed anything to let us know. She said bring him home. I remember telling her, we will find him and we will continue to pray for him. Unfortunately, we didn't find Robert on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

Thursday night I was going to Panera bread to receive donations of bagels and pastries for Friday's search parties. As I was driving, I could feel my car moving with the wind and then I saw the first drop of mixed percipitation. I just looked up and prayed, dear Lord, please not tonight. Hold this weather off until we find Robert. He's just a baby, lost in the woods and he can't handle this weather alone. Not long after that, the rain stopped, the wind was still strong and I could hear the whistle's when I got home from the wind between the trees. I just constantly prayed that Jesus would wrap his loving warm arms around Robert and keep him safe until we could find him.

Friday morning came and at 6:30 I headed out the Meadow Farm Park to get the food tent started, cutting bagels and putting out pastries. We had to make coffee and hope for some donations of coffee, boiled hot water for tea or hot chocolate. It was so freaking cold and all I could think about was Robert out in the cold without a coat or gloves or a hat. My youngest son, Blake, had to ride the 4 wheeler to catch the bus. When I said to him it was nasty out he told me he didn't need a ride, he was fine, he said go help feed the volunteers so they can make it through the woods and find Robert. I did what he said. When I arrived at the staging area it was still as amazing as it had been except today, standing among a huge crane was the American Flag. Boy, that flag meant so much!

Carolyn and Fred couldn't be there early so it was myself and Brian Young to lead the volunteers in the food service area. When I got there, there was a sea of tents and volunteers were already lined up ready to go. It was so cold and I felt terrible because I remember complaining how cold it was. Poor Robert was out in that cold all night, how was he doing? I started the day with cutting bagels to make it easier for the volunteers to grab and go. We laid out danishes, pastries of so many sorts. There so many donated items from power bars to squeezable fruits. We wanted to ensure our volunteers in the woods had plenty to help keep them going. They would spend hours out in the field before they came back for rehab and so many of them would rehab and then re-deploy into the field. So many people would stop and thank us for feeding them when in reality we needed to thank them. They were doing the toughest job. They fought briars, creeks and swamps. I think during this entire week I met some of the strongest people I know.

We worked along side the American Red Cross and really made great things happen. Carolyn and I stayed in the motor home and began working out dinner plans with Greg. We sent Chuck and Michelle on runs to various local restaurants for food. We had food rolling in, we had volunteers that continued to show up each and every day to help serve the volunteers that were searching. We had an assembly line of folks making sandwiches, everything was running like a well oiled machine. People were amazing, asking what they could do. It was incredible.

Seriously, we saw Captain Trice come in and discuss information to get that under way for his 9am briefing and updates with the media. He was such a great guy and did an amazing job. He never gave up hope, the officers, logistics and EMS that were onsite with us, never gave up hope. We knew time was running out but we did what we could to keep the faith up and made that hope spread to everyone! We had to, we couldn't loose hope or we could lose Robert.

Around 1:30pm I had to leave the post and go to Tom Leonard's to buy steaks for friday night dinner at the Moose lodge. While I pulled into the parking lot, Betty Mae called me, crying, she said they found him. I will never forget those words, they found him. I began sobbing and asked if he was alive. She said he was and I remember hanging up and calling Carolyn. I asked Carolyn if she heard and she asked me did I hear what? I said they found Robert, he's ALIVE! she said what??? I said they found Robert and he's alive. Next thing I heard was the phone drop and Carolyn shout out, They found your baby!!!! OMG that was incredible. I was told after that Michelle and Carolyn had to help Barbara out the RV door and Captain Trice and 2 other Hanover Deputies came and whisked her off.

I couldn't contain myself and shouted in Tom Leonard's he was found! Everyone was so happy to hear. It's amazing how many lives that little fella touched in those 5 days. I went back to the RV because we now had to feed all the volunteers who were still coming in from the woods, today was a different feel when they were coming in. Everyone was hugging and laughing and just so excited. It was one good Samiratin that listened to the Good Lord and went out and found Robert on Friday. However, every one of us was responsible for finding him as well. I remember getting back and hugging our team and shouting out he's alive! Michelle and I hugged so tight and cried together, it was truly an experience.

One small little boy brought so many together. I re-built relationships and made new ones all because of this little boy. Autism was brought to the forefront, we learned new things about a disease that captures so many. We learned a lot and I will never, ever forget what we learned.

Thank you so much to Barbara and her family for allowing us to help in this task. Robert, thank you so much for being okay and for teaching us about Autism, many us didn't understand it until now!

Caroline Moose... we take care of our own! We are small and few but we get the job done!