Gabby’s story

She was just two years old, a little girl with bright eyes. Found on the I-10 bridge with six other small children, she was taken to a shelter in Baton Rouge for the littlest Katrina victims. There she sat, refusing to speak until a Team Adam consultant from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children snapped her picture for the center’s missing children hotline. Then she pointed to her image and cried out: “Gabby!”

Days earlier, Marcelline Alexander watched fearfully as her daughter, Gabrielle, was lifted into the helicopter from the New Orleans apartment building. It was a parent’s worst nightmare. “I was so afraid I’d never see my baby again,” says Marcelline. “I had to let her go, but it tore me up inside.” They’d been stranded on the third-floor balcony for days. They were out of everything, and the water was still rising.

The pilot took the children and one adult, promising to return in 25 minutes. Six hours later, another helicopter arrived and took the parents to an airport. Marcelline was frantic. She was being evacuated to San Antonio, and had no idea where her child was. All she could do was give someone collecting missing persons information a description of Gabby.

In Virginia, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children posted Gabby’s picture and checked listings of parents looking for lost children. Then they spotted Marcelline’s description of her daughter and knew they had a match. It fit Gabby perfectly, right down to the clothing she was wearing. Within days, Gabby and the other children–including Deamonte Love, a heroic six-year-old that kept the little group together – were reunited with their mothers in San Antonio.

Today, the little girl who wouldn’t speak chatters constantly – especially about the big helicopter and the high water. “I never thought a child so young would remember, but she does,” says Marcelline. So does Marcelline. “I don’t like to let her out of my sight. I want to thank the people who helped me find my baby. I thank them so much.”

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reunited 5,192 children with their families following Hurricane Katrina. Responding quickly, the Freddie Mac Foundation supported these efforts with a $100,000 grant.