Anna's point of view

Our best bet seems to be to continue to throw out ideas for possible "triggers" for her memories or for questioning the story she has been told. Many adoptees choose to search, but I can't help but think that if she had chosen to search she likely would have found her family if she had memories or correct information. It seems like there must be some suppression or distortion of the truth for her to remain missing this long.
 
Our best bet seems to be to continue to throw out ideas for possible "triggers" for her memories or for questioning the story she has been told. Many adoptees choose to search, but I can't help but think that if she had chosen to search she likely would have found her family if she had memories or correct information. It seems like there must be some suppression or distortion of the truth for her to remain missing this long.

~ Yes, I agree with you. I know there are several forums, and on FB under Adoptee's searching they have many many different scenerio's of why people are searching for family. In fact we come across a few who do believe they've been abducted as children because no matter what they do they cannot find their natural family. Some don't have birth certificates, some don't know where they were born at all and they are thinking of doing DNA tests to try to find out 'who they are'. It is frustrating, and I too wonder why we don't see Anna out there searching in some shape or form. Because of this absence I somethimes feel she hasn't a clue what happened to her, or is a happily adopted woman who at this time doesn't feel the NEED to search which, is common as well with adoptee's.

I really wish a TV station would do a show on Anna to spread the word....

Best, SK
 
My understanding is that news programs and other programs have featured Anna, including shows such as "Missing". Perhaps Dr. Doogie or Annasmom can give us details or let us know if this is featured on another thread. Maybe we could at least get someone to re-run or do an update?
 
Someone sent me a visitor message saying that there was an Anna Waters from Georgia on MySpace...unfortunately, I deleted some old messages and that one apparently went with them, because I can't get it back. Would you send it again (don't remember the name either)? Or would someone check out MySpace? I doubt that it's anything, but as a matter of policy we've been checking everything out, likely or unlikely.
 
Someone sent me a visitor message saying that there was an Anna Waters from Georgia on MySpace...unfortunately, I deleted some old messages and that one apparently went with them, because I can't get it back. Would you send it again (don't remember the name either)? Or would someone check out MySpace? I doubt that it's anything, but as a matter of policy we've been checking everything out, likely or unlikely.
Nanny2Five, I believe it was you who saw the MySpace AW in Georgia. When this woman first came to our attention some years ago, we were pretty excited and wound up checking on her...even the sheriff's office knew about the similarity in age and name. The photo is the same one we looked at back then.It turns out that she is definitely not our Anna, but I appreciate your locating these links. We looked at all of them.
 
for some strange reason i feel like this year will be the year that we find anna and anna comes back to us. i have hope that she is out there and she is searching for her family and may not know that we are searching for her
 
Another thought . . . it would probably have been much easier to call Anna something similar to her actual name, so we might be looking for someone who thinks her name is Ann(e) or Annie or something else that sounds similar.
 
Another thought . . . it would probably have been much easier to call Anna something similar to her actual name, so we might be looking for someone who thinks her name is Ann(e) or Annie or something else that sounds similar.

Good thought ndivine but I believe Anna's name is pronounced with a strong A, "Arna".
 
She would remember: her brothers' names, the pretty unique experience of growing up on a farm...the various animals, going to kindergarden (I'm five years older than Anna and I can STILL remember my kindergarden teacher's name). She'd remember places in town that the family visited regularly (maybe the name of a store). She'd remember her favorite toy or doll (which might help her, time-frame and nationality-wise). And, most of all, she'd remember how much she was loved.
 
Children remember a LOT of things at a young age! Even if they are repressed memories they would be there! I am now 46 and as my family moved house when I was 5, I know a lot of memories from that house are me aged 5 or earlier. I remember the address, the exact floor plan, my pets at that house, the outdoor toilet, eating tinned spaghetti, neighbors on both sides although not their names, the flowers out the front, some of my toys, lots of things. Someone could explain the memories away but they would be there!
 
I am 43 and have many many pre-school memories of my family. I even remember being at my brother's wedding when I was 2 1/2 years old, not a lot of it, but I remember watching his wife walk down the aisle and I remember details about the church, the church stood out to me because I was used to the Methodist church and the wedding took place in a Catholic church. I remember lots of days at home when it was just me and my mom when I was a very small child, the pets, the toys, the furniture we had. I don't see how you could wipe memories like that out of a person's mind.
 
Oh gosh, Anna's story just about breaks my heart. I have been consumed by this story for the last few days.

I discovered this thread first and since I have a 5 year old I got to wondering about how much he would remember and for how long. I just cannot imagine him ever forgetting his name, or his siblings, or his true identity. I can't imagine him accepting a story about being adopted or any other story someone might use to explain taking him. I guess though, that when you're 5 compliance probably beats the stress and trauma of constant grief at being taken from your Mamma.

What really drew me into this case though is a photo I saw of Anna. I clicked to open it and walked away, and when I came back I rolled my eyes at my DD taking pictures of herself on my iPad again. Then I realised it wasnt her, it was Anna. The resemblance is uncanny. Same face, same curls, same eyes, same nose. I even showed my DH who thought it was my DD or our older DD. All of the kids thought the photo was our youngest, and even the youngest thought it was her! I cannot stop looking at the picture, because it looks so much like my 3 year old does now, and exactly like my 9 year old did back then (she lost her blonde curls and now has dark brown hair).

I read in another thread that it was possible that Anna may have been dressed as a boy while being moved. I think that is certainly a possibility. I have 4 kids, two girls and two boys, they are all carbon copies of each other, in fact, all 4 resemble Anna which I think is why this case has shaken me so badly. If I shaved my girls head, they would look exactly like their brothers, if I put a wig on my boys, they'd make perfect girls.

I hope so badly that there is a break in this case soon. I know I won't stop thinking about this case any time soon.
 
Oh gosh, Anna's story just about breaks my heart. I have been consumed by this story for the last few days.

I discovered this thread first and since I have a 5 year old I got to wondering about how much he would remember and for how long. I just cannot imagine him ever forgetting his name, or his siblings, or his true identity. I can't imagine him accepting a story about being adopted or any other story someone might use to explain taking him. I guess though, that when you're 5 compliance probably beats the stress and trauma of constant grief at being taken from your Mamma.

What really drew me into this case though is a photo I saw of Anna. I clicked to open it and walked away, and when I came back I rolled my eyes at my DD taking pictures of herself on my iPad again. Then I realised it wasnt her, it was Anna. The resemblance is uncanny. Same face, same curls, same eyes, same nose. I even showed my DH who thought it was my DD or our older DD. All of the kids thought the photo was our youngest, and even the youngest thought it was her! I cannot stop looking at the picture, because it looks so much like my 3 year old does now, and exactly like my 9 year old did back then (she lost her blonde curls and now has dark brown hair).

I read in another thread that it was possible that Anna may have been dressed as a boy while being moved. I think that is certainly a possibility. I have 4 kids, two girls and two boys, they are all carbon copies of each other, in fact, all 4 resemble Anna which I think is why this case has shaken me so badly. If I shaved my girls head, they would look exactly like their brothers, if I put a wig on my boys, they'd make perfect girls.

I hope so badly that there is a break in this case soon. I know I won't stop thinking about this case any time soon.

Hi MLO!

I know, Anna is captivating! We love her so much. You weren't by chance adopted were you? LOL I say that due to all your children looking so much like Anna!

take care,
Sk
 
LOL, no, not adopted. I did run through it in my head though! I'm too young, plus I look nothing like Anna. I'm a red head, my children seem to have only gotten genes from my husband.

I have to say, this is one of the only abduction cases I've seen where I've truly believed that the child is alive and well. All of the others feel a lot like wishful thinking, but not this case.
 
LOL, no, not adopted. I did run through it in my head though! I'm too young, plus I look nothing like Anna. I'm a red head, my children seem to have only gotten genes from my husband.

I have to say, this is one of the only abduction cases I've seen where I've truly believed that the child is alive and well. All of the others feel a lot like wishful thinking, but not this case.
Thank you for helping me keep my hopes up, MLO.
 
LOL, no, not adopted. I did run through it in my head though! I'm too young, plus I look nothing like Anna. I'm a red head, my children seem to have only gotten genes from my husband.

I have to say, this is one of the only abduction cases I've seen where I've truly believed that the child is alive and well. All of the others feel a lot like wishful thinking, but not this case.

Thanks MLO :)
I too believe.
 
I really don't know if this applies to me, because Anna is over 30 years older than me, but I remember going to Kindergarten with my favorite Looney Tunes lunchbox, going to the flea market with my grandmother every week, the first time I had to go to preschool, my mom's old car, and picking flowers with neighborhood friends. I wonder if Anna would be able to recall what car that the family owned and old family traditions (like going to the beach, having gatherings etc.) that were in her life when she was 5.
 
I have been checking in. I haven't posted for a bit, but wanted to add something here.

If you Google things like 'I have no memory before the age of 5' OR 'I have no childhood memories', you come across message board after message board of adults who have very few childhood recollections and sometimes NO childhood recollections.

I think there's something to be said for consistency of experience too. If your life were uprooted at a young age, maybe you wouldn't remember what came before the uprooting because your experience after that point would abruptly stop being consistent, if that makes sense.

Perhaps searching some of these message boards here and abroad?
 

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