11 years of anguish - St Thomas couple who lost son in 2011 still hoping to find him

As the search continues for two-year-old Jahmeal Mendez, a toddler from Rasta Corner in Free Town, Clarendon, who has been missing since last Thursday, a St Thomas couple who experienced a similar nightmare is encouraging his parents to hold dear to their faith.

Neville and Donna Mitchell from Albion Mountain -- a community near Cedar Valley -- said Jahmeal's disappearance reminds them strongly of that of their own child Augustus 'Ralston' Neville Mitchell, who disappeared on January 6, 2011.

Sitting on two stones in their yard, the Mitchells said the past 11 years have been extremely difficult. Donna tried to recount the ordeal but no words exited her mouth; she could only tremble. Her husband rubbed his head as he recalled the Thursday that changed their lives forever. Mitchell said that Donna left baby Ralston with a neighbour while she took food for him at his farm.

"He was crying and the journey was far to the farm. She left the child with the lady and carry the food come. Mi eat and start pick some carrot when di lady call and say the youth did a cry and she don't know where he was. So mi leave everything and come up and start search the bush," he said.

Mitchell said that at first he thought that the toddler may have been taken or lured by the ghosts of his dead relatives.

"Mi grandparents bury close to where the lady live so we start search the bush and a say maybe dem realise say a dem little family and because him a cry dem take him. But we search and when mi come out the bush that night it was after 11," Mitchell said. He said the family, residents and the police searched the district for weeks but there was no sign of the child.

"If is even a rat dead you would see johncrow a fly so mi know mi son wasn't in the place. No river wasn't nearby either. We realise say a never duppy ting. It look like mi son a cry and start walk until him reach on the driving road and somebody take him. We can't find him until today. I think he is alive. A police come in the house and tell mi say there is this thing name human trafficking and a that reach him mi think," Mitchell said.

At the time of his disappearance, baby Ralston had been diagnosed with sickle cell weeks earlier. He was on medication and was in need of medical attention.

"I have eight children and he is the second to last and is like mi heart gone. Every time mi a pass the spot weh him did lef, mi memba him. Mi mind flood with thoughts of him because mi nuh find closure. Sometimes mi wonder if mi see him if mi woulda memba him," Mitchell said. He pleaded with anyone who may have Ralston to return him.

"Mi wouldn't mind if mi coulda see him. We ready fi take him with open arms. Unuh just return him please," he said.

Meanwhile, Donna said she believes that God will return Ralston to them.

"I am going to hug and kiss him again. Mi ago hug up mi baby and squeeze him. Mi nah give up on mi son. Him never have any specific birthmark but mi motherly instinct going to let mi know him," she said. For Jahmeal's parents, they gave words of encouragement.

"Things like that hurt really bad but leave everything in God's hands. Is last night mi a talk bout the little boy and say him was the same age my son go missing. Mi pray fi dem because we walk the road and know say it hot bad," Donna said.