Brian Gewirtz, a 20-year-old man with autism, went missing from his Brooklyn home the morning of February 17, 2015.
His parents, Kathy and Steve, along with an extended family of volunteers launched a weeks-long search for him, with every minute chipping away at hope.
“It’s not knowing that’s difficult for the family,” said Kathy Gewirtz, 48. “It feels like a funeral without the funeral, because you don’t know.”
According to a study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2012, almost half of all children with autism are prone to wandering. For people with autism, who have difficulty communicating and understanding danger, leaving the safe confines of home can too often end in heartbreak for all concerned.
