Work From Home Life

The weeks-long search for a critical missing woman from Milwaukee is over. Laquita Ward’s family told WISN 12 News she was found safe in Florida. Her family reported her missing two weeks ago. The 36-year-old will be on her way back to Milwaukee Thursday night. Andrea Adkins got to speak to her daughter over the phone this afternoon for the first time in weeks. “What was that like for you?” WISN 12 News reporter Kendall Keys asked. “A great relief, the sigh of relief for any mother any mother. Just a huge relief to, you know, because this story could have ended a lot of different ways. So we’re just thankful. We’re thankful,” Adkins said. Loved ones showed up to Adkins’ house Thursday night, embracing and breathing a sigh of relief. Family reported Ward missing Sept. 11. Police said she was spotted at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport that day. On Sept. 15, a deputy in Florida found her sleeping at a Fort Lauderdale airport, but was unaware she was a missing person. On Sept. 22, Milwaukee police upgraded her status to critical missing, which is when the public was notified about her disappearance. Ward has Turner syndrome. It’s a chromosomal disorder where a female is born with only one X chromosome. It has a unique impact on each woman who has it. Ward’s family said Turner syndrome impacts her cognitive ability significantly, making it so she is incredibly vulnerable on her own. They compared her thought processes to that of a teenager, rather than an adult. Adkins was overjoyed that her daughter was OK all these days later. “We’re just thankful, thankful, thankful for everyone. We’re thankful for Channel 12, all your support. We’re thankful for Detective Sromalla and all the work, the tireless work that she did on this case, which all of this was an integral part in Laquita on her way home now,” Adkins said. Adkins said law enforcement is ensuring Ward makes it home.”She’s going to get escorted to the airport by the detectives there. We’re getting her a one-way ticket so that we don’t have to worry about her getting lost again,” Adkins said. “We’ll be waiting here in Milwaukee for her when she gets home.”The Turner Syndrome Society of the United States reached out to WISN 12 News after seeing our stories about Ward being missing. After hearing she had been found safe, the organization got in contact with Ward’s family and purchased her plane ticket home. “We are so relieved,” Becky Brown, the national director of development and communications for the organization, said.Milwaukee police have not answered WISN 12 News’ questions about why it took 11 days for Ward to be deemed critical missing.