Dugard’s mom retells nightmare to teach others
By Jessica Heffner, Springfield News-Sun
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A million things run through Terry Probyn’s mind when she thinks about her daughter’s kidnapping.
She wished she would have kissed her daughter goodbye that day. She wishes the police would have made the connection between Jaycee Dugard’s disappearance and a similar case in South Lake Tahoe.
But mostly she wishes it didn’t take 18 years for her daughter to finally come home.
Jacyee Lee Dugard and her mom, Terry Probyn
“She suffered and I suffered right along with her, and for 18 hellish years, I begged and I pleaded, I cried, I ranted, I raved,” Probyn said. “But the most important thing I did in all of this was I kept Jaycee in my heart.”
Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted in 1991 at the age of 11 while waiting for the school bus. She was held by Phillip and Nancy Garrido in a makeshift shed in their Antioch backyard, where she gave birth to two children conceived by rape.
Probyn shared her experience with a group of about 160 law enforcement and child advocacy officials Monday as part of a workshop for National Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. The event was sponsored by the Clark County Child Advocacy Center at the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center.
During Dugard’s captivity, Garrido’s home was visited by parole officers, and neighbors called the sheriff’s office to report children were camping in the backyard. But it wasn’t until the University of California, Berkeley, did a background check on Garrido and the campus special events coordinator reported her suspicions to his parole officer that Dugard was discovered. Many times, Probyn said, her daughter could have been found.
“We all have to ask ourselves, does this make sense? Does this feel right? What am I missing here,” she said.
Probyn spoke through tears during much of her presentation. It’s her heartfelt message that CAC Director Wendy Holt said she hopes will stick with people.
“There may be just small indicators as Terry pointed out that give you what you need in a case,” she said. “If (we) see something, call children services, call law enforcement and let them be the ones to decide.”
The event is one of several the CAC is putting on this month.
On Friday, everyone is asked to wear blue to raise awareness about all forms of child abuse and its prevention.
I do not have much to say. The entire story is just sickening.
As horrible as Jacyee Lee’s ordeal was, I am glad she is still with us. No one thought this would be the outcome.
I wonder how many like her are still out there, in hell on earth?
I wonder how much she charged to give this speech? One thing we have learned from the Dugard family is that they don’t do anything like this for free.
With regard to Jaycee Lee Dugard and her family. If there is anyone that deserves to make money sharing Jaycee’s story, it is Jaycee and her family. She was held captive for 18 years, from the age of 11, in a tent in the backyard of a known sexual deviant. She was abused mentally, physically and sexually. She bore 2 children as a teenager to this pile. The story is horrific, and unbelievable. The fact that she survived, was finally found, and appears to be progressing to a more normal life with her girls, and family, is nothing less than a miracle. The fact that what she and her family do these difficult appearances, and speeches to help others is amazing. Frankly, they have been public very few times. The girls are protected from the media.
This family deserves every penny they get.
SpaceCowboy, …really?
I remember Ginny Vermillion and I made cookies for the 6th grade graduation of the class that Jay Cee would have been a member of. The ceremony was celebrating the graduation of all those wonderful students, with an emphasis on remembering Jay Cee, who would have been their classmate.
I was standing near Mrs. Probyn, and as the different people gave their speeches. I realised that she was only barely holding herself together. In my mind, I thought that this is one very strong mother, to want to keep these memories for her child, for when that child is found.
She and Jay Cee suffered together for those 18 long years, as well as all who loved them. This was an unspeakable and particularly ugly crime. I applaud her efforts to help elevate awareness.
Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe developed “A Fighting Chance” program as a result of Jaycee’s abduction. Terry Probyn helped develop our video. The program which empowers children and teaches anti-abduction skills is offered to 3rd and 6th grade in the fall and 4th and 5th grade in the spring. We will be teaching it the last 2 weeks of May. If parents want to see it, they can check with their child’s teacher.
Snow, right on the money. I will never forget that horrible day. My son was in her class at Meyers. One of the worst parts is the utter failure of law enforcement and “the system”, but I am sure that they are aware of their failures, entirely too late.
Snow…For a story that is so, as you described it, “horrific, and unbelievable”, Jaycee and her mother certainly seem to have no reservations about selling it in every form they can market. You would think that they would be much more inclined to move on with their lives and try to put it behind them. Instead they seem to want to insure that it stays in the media spotlight so they can continue to market it. If you have watched the TV interviews or other appearances that Jaycee has sold for millions, you have to admit that she seems “remarkably” untraumatized. How is this possible for a person that is supposed to have suffered the 18 year long ordeal that she is reported to have endured? All the experts say she has to be a basket case, mentally and emotionally, yet, it is obvious that this is not true. She parlayed a $20 million “award” into $200 million in less than 2 years. That is not something a traumatized basket case could accomplish. I am not saying that she wasn’t kidnapped or endure a tragedy, but something is definitely wrong with the story as it was reported. Either it didn’t play out as it was told or there are huge parts of the story missing.
spacecowboy: you are totally out of line. Jaycee demonstrates the remarkable resiliance of the human spirit. She deserves every penny she makes — I’ll happily go buy 10 more copies of her book.
spacecowboy come back to earth, you for real, what an ^%$ you are
Are you telling me that if your daughter was kidnapped and kept as a sex slave for 18 years that you would be going around the country recounting the details of her ordeal for money? I wouldn’t.
@snow says : i totally agree with you.
The state and government should give her tons of money, I know she got 20 mio buts thats not enough for all that emotional, physical suffering she endured for all these years and also her children.
Money cant change anything but at least that shouldnt be one of her worries.