HAPPY BIRTHDAY MITCHELL THOMAS

Post 58 - Wednesday August 15th, 2025

On Friday August 15th my lad turns 23. A day of celebration for him and a day to celebrate for me. Mitchell is my second son and sadly he had been absent from my life for 11 years and one month. In June 2014 my boys' Mitchell and Jacob went missing. History shows that over the years lots was done to hide my boys and to hide their identity. That all meant to me and my life, they were lost.

That was a really difficult and clearly a very sad time, the searching and hope never stopped but with the passage of time I had given up I guess of ever being reunited. Evidence gathered showed the boys were removed from the life we knew and all attempts to track them came to nothing. It was costly and extremely frustrating trying to legally gain access, trying to ascertain what had happened, to find any trace of where the boys were. 

In the end I did find out some things and over time all attempts to gain access to the boys failed. But as the years rolled on life also moved on but that was without my younger lads. Somehow things were manageable, but I know with great clarity that never a day went by when my boys were not number one on my heart and in my thoughts. I missed them dearly and the pain was constant, tough days indeed, but yeah, I did move on.

We had our home in Woodcroft at the time they disappeared, to help cope I eventually moved to a new house and set about getting my life in order, that was awkward in many ways.

At the new place I set up a room ready for the boys if they ever returned (pic shows Jake's bed). Memories were always so strong, but moving house gave me a chance to drift along never forgetting but giving me the chance to live some sort of productive and normal life. And I did.

It's a given life throws up many, many obstacles and I have had my share, some of my own doing and some when it seemed the universe was not travelling with me. But I pushed on and have lived life as best I could. But I did so without the young boys.

Then totally out of the blue at 2-11am on July 23rd I had a message from Mitchell. Oh my. that blindsided me, so good but wow, that was right out of left field. The circumstance around the first and next few messages were awkward; Mitchell was reaching out and for me as his dad, that was all that mattered, after so long here was my boy. Thank-you God.

At first, I wasn't sure how to respond, I did ask him to share something he remembered from our days to verify it was really Mitchell, he did that and once a connection was formed, we have shared lots of memories and thoughts over the 21 days since. This naturally still has a long way to go but so far it has been awesome in all ways. We are reconnected as father and son.

I have been amazed at what Mitchell remembers from our time together. He remembers so many details, and it has been so darn good chatting with him about those memories. I have shared many pics with him and yeah, what he recalls amazes me, look, I am so glad he does but surprised just the same, and it's a good surprise.

Mitchell has sent me pics and some videos of how life has unfolded for him, not a lot but some. I felt great pride knowing he wanted to share things as he did. Messaging with Mitchell has been inspiring, it really has, he seems to enjoy connecting through our family pics and the associated stories I tell him. And I have plenty of pics, I have always been the family photo guy. But with Mitchell and the messages, this is the stuff of dreams, it really is. I am blessed.

Now by chance Ruth and I have planned a trip from late September that will cover 15,000km over at least three months and visiting Western Australia is a part of the plan. So, when we made our road trip plans to tour Australia it definitely did not include having time with the boys. But now that will happen, seriously, just like that things have changed so much.

How that all plays out is not yet defined. Mitchell has been really open it seems to having time together in WA. That will be so good and something I cannot wait to have happen. How the meet up with Jake goes, at this point I have no idea, no idea at all.

Some people in my life knew the boys from our time in Adelaide and some did not. Some of those people helped me in the tough times, some didn't but that was ok. I knew the story of the boys and at the end of the day that is all that mattered. I loved the boys, and I always knew I was lucky to be their dad even when they were taken. Nothing could change that.

Because clearly, I am not the only loser here, yep, I have missed so much time with the boys. But Mitchell and Jake have lived all that time without a dad, that must have been very odd for them.  And the boys have missed out on being a part of my family. 

They have not been a part of family gatherings, celebrations, sad times, good times, any times in fact. That was so wrong, that was just evil to be honest. But now we can all move forward, and we must move forward. Given time I trust some friendships within the family can be established.

It will not be easy as we try to cover lost ground, as we learn who the boys now are. They left as kids but reconnect as adults. Mitchell as said is turning 23 and Jake will be 21 on December 17th.

Naturally the pics to the left show the family in a different time. Mum and the boys in the Green family home lounge room at 132 Nookamka Terrace in Barmera, Bradley with Mitchell in Adelaide 2003 at his then work office on Hindley Street. Aunty Jan and Mitchell down at Glenelg in 2003 and the boys with Uncle Rod at the Hilton Hotel in Mile End as we shared dinner one evening in 2012. All special pics with their own meanings, their own understanding, but it's just very special to have this history for Mitchell, Jake and the Green family. I feel blessed

The bottom pic is again at Barmera, in the backyard of the family home with Aunty Veronica and Uncle Joff, sadly Veronica passed away in 2020, so this pic is so special for so many reasons. My boys never knew about Veronica, that is sad.

Everybody in life, and that means everybody should have the chance to know family, to know their extended family and to be a part of that connection. That opportunity should not ever be taken from people. Never. And on the other side of that coin, family deserves to have all members be a part of their life. For the boys and the Green family, that did not happen and that was wrong on many levels.

Today is 13 years since my Mum was laid to rest. She died August 4th, 2012, aged 90. I am so thankful that my young boys had time to get to know their grandma. All of the grandkids were very special to Mum; she really did take to the grandma role well and adored each and everyone. The next generation of the Green family added to Mum's life.

For me to watch Mum and the boys together is a memory I naturally cherish. Mum never knew the boys were taken in 2014 as it was after she passed and I was always thankful for that; it would have been heartbreaking for her. Mum did not deserve or need that in her life.

But across the time the boys and I were fortunate to have numerous trips each year to Barmera to spend time with Mum and Dad. The boys loved the visits with the 'oldies' as they called the grandparents, and we all had plenty of fun. It really did mean a lot to all of us. 

We spent lots of summer days at the lake, the skate park was popular, and Aunty Jan and Uncle Peter's home was a place we also spent a lot of Barmera time visiting. As the pic above shows Grannie always appreciated family time and she always looked forward to the get-to-togethers. Yep, so many great memories from years past with the Green family being together. 

Mum had a great send off, Father Steve presided over her Requiem Mass, I was blessed to deliver the eulogy, and many family members and friends packed the Barmera Catholic Church to farewell this great lady. 

Later at the Barmera Cemetary Mum was laid to rest. That was a moving part of the day, really special and for some reason not known to me, the Adelaide Cows theme song blasted out as the coffin was lowered into the grave. The boys and I stood in shock but hey, I reckon Grannie was smiling, she loved her footy and the Cows gave her great joy, apparently.

And mum knew about Umpire Vernon, she knew, we all knew but yeah, mum definitely knew.

With my health, the boys know nothing about my issues. That health battle for me has been across recent years and without any contact at all then they are totally in the dark. That is also a sad part of this whole debacle, the boys and I lost 11 years of life and that's awkward. Disappointing in every way. I do understand moving forward is the key here, but collateral damage has been done and it's sad that the boys and I have had this time stolen.

It was beyond comprehension for me to figure in any form that I would get the chance to be re united with Mitchell and Jake. But with what has happened, now that will be the case, look, this is truly a miracle, it was not something that was on the radar. But I will take it, how blessed am I? I will get to see my young boys again.

Well, that's it for today, I won't end this post with a JonnyG funny, I guess it's not really appropriate. But as always, I thank you for reading, I thank you for your support and messages during my health battles and what I share here on my Lewy Body Dementia blog. For me, this is great therapy, and I am finding it really helpful to get this history recorded.

Over time I have now added 58 posts to the JonnyG Remembers Blog and had 43,800+ views, that is really so pleasing to me. Much more than I could have ever imagined. Again, everyone, thank-you and please know I so appreciate all of that support.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MITCHELL

Love from Dad

Sam was our family pooch, he came to live with us in the days of the Morphett Vale unit in January 2013 as a pup, he loved the boys, and they loved him ... Sam stayed with me across the years after the boys were taken and eventually he became part of the family with Ruth and I ... sadly Sam passed away in late 2022 ...

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The Green family in Barmera celebrating mums 90th birthday in July 2012 ... Mitchell and Jake should never have been denied access to this family ...

Ah, my favorite pic with Mitchell and Jake, November 2011 down at the bay celebrating my 57th birthday ... I love this shot, over time it has been my go-to pic and that has helped me through some tough times ...

My three boys, Bradley James, Mitchell Thomas and Jacob Edwin ... the young boys really loved being involved with Bradley and his footy, in 2013 Adelaide Uni won the premiership and it was a special and proud day for me and the boys, then the second pic is in the change rooms at Park One on the day Bradley played his 100th game for Adelaide Uni, he did go on to play over 200 games for the club

Pics of my boys on the bedroom wall at Wendouree Lodge in Ballarat, the pics are from days past but all have great meaning ...

This is a sad pic in the story of the boys being taken ... I first reported the boys missing at the Sturt Police Station on Friday June 20th, 2014 ...

My really dear friend Cheryl Zucker with Mitchell and Jake at Saturday footy, Adelaide Uni v Ovingham Cats at the footy oval off Churchill Road in 2013, Bradley was playing this day for Adelaide Uni ... Cheryl has been a friend over many years and our family connection goes way back to 1945 when my dad Jimmy Green and her dad Lloyd Zucker of Port Adelaide Football Club fame were cadets together at Semaphore in the South Australian Police Force ... Cheryl has been a keen follower of my blog and as this pic is special to me so it gets included in this post ... 

Hi CDZ, Cats rule ...