I’m The Only One Who Looked After My Mom

Caring for Mom, Then She Disappeared
I was the only one looking after my 79-year-old mom, Joyce. After her fall left her barely able to walk, I made the tough decision to place her in a nursing home. Every weekend, I visited with fresh muffins and little treats.

“She looked forward to our visits. So did I.” Then one day, the nursing home receptionist told me, “Mrs. Joyce? She’s not here anymore. She was discharged last week.” I learned my half-sister Marla, who hadn’t spoken to Mom in years, had taken her away—claiming I had approved it.

The Shock of Marla’s Return
Marla showed up with a notarized document giving her temporary medical authority. The nursing home staff didn’t check closely, and Mom didn’t resist. She told a nurse she was “happy to spend time with her other daughter.” I was stunned. Marla hadn’t helped when Mom fell or during her recovery, yet she suddenly reappeared and took her as if it was nothing.

Searching and Finding Clues
Desperate, I searched Marla’s last address and turned to Facebook with a plea: “My elderly mother may have been taken without proper authorization. Please DM me if you’ve seen her.”

A grocery clerk named Shireen recognized Mom with a woman who “buy[s] wine and scratch-off tickets.” Mom, who hadn’t had a cat in years, was telling stories about one. Marla’s ex warned me, “She targets vulnerable relatives.”