Joshua Pier, 14 days old,(Found Safe) Missing Since 5/18/09, Tonasket, WA

[Faith]

Missing From: Tonasket, WA
Missing Date:
Issued for: Washington: Statewide
Contact: If you have information, please contact Okanogan County Sheriff's Office, 509-422-7232
Circumstances: **Child is 14 DAYS old***Child has been abducted in violation of court order to place child in specialized foster/medical care. The child has been diagnosed with PKU metabolic disorder that impairs his ability to process amino acids. This is an imminent threat to his health.

Missing Child
Name: Joshua Pier
Alias:
Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown
Skin Color: White Age: 14 days
Height: 21IN Weight: 9LBS
Gender: Male
Description:

Suspect
Name: Gretchen Pier
Alias:
Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown
Skin Color: White Age: 18YO
Height: 5FT4 Weight: 165LBS
Gender: Female
Description:

Vehicle Information
Make: Honda Model: Accord
Color: Gold Interior Color:
License State: WA License Text: 351YOU
Vehicle Description:

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/AmberServlet

[Faith]

An Amber Alert has been issued out of Okanogan County for a two-week-old infant that was taken Monday by his 18-year-old mother in violation of a court order.

The child was diagnosed with a metabolic disorder and is in urgent need of medical care, the Okanogan Sheriff's Office said. A court order had been issued to place the child in specialized foster/medical care.

Child Protective Services was going to take custody of the baby, but the mother got tipped to it and split, deputies said.

Deputies are looking for 18-year-old Gretchen Pier. She's described as Caucasian, about 5 feet 4 inches and weighs 165 pounds. The baby is named Joshua Pier and is 21 inches long and weighs about 9 pounds.

Gretchen was last seen driving a gold 1989 Honda Accord with Washington license plate 351-YOU.

If you have any information, you're asked to call 911.

http://www.komonews.com/news/45543382.html

[Faith]

http://www.kxly.com/Global/story.asp?S=10399643

http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=10399719

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/585296.html

[Faith]

http://www.kirotv.com/2009/0521/19521382_240X135.jpg

Amber Alert Issued For 2-Week-Old Boy

Posted: 6:52 pm PDT May 20, 2009Updated: 7:17 pm PDT May 20, 2009
SEATTLE -- An Amber Alert has been issued for a 14-day-old boy.

Joshua Pier has been missing from Tonasket, Wash. since about 2 p.m. Thursday.

Police are searching for the suspect, 18-year-old Gretchen Pier. She is 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs about 165 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes.

Joshua was abducted in violation of a court order to place him in specialized foster/medical care. He has been diagnosed with PKU metabolic disorder that impairs his ability to process amino acids. This is an imminent threat to his health.

Joshua weighs 9 pounds and is 21 inches long. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

Gretchen Pier may be driving a gold 1989 Honda Accord with Wash. license plate 351YOU.

Anyone with information should call the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office at 509-422-7232 or 911.

http://www.kirotv.com/news/19521293/detail.html

[Faith]

I'm not sure of the date the baby went missing. One article says Monday and one says Thursday.


An Amber Alert has been issued out of Okanogan County for a two-week-old infant that was taken Monday by his 18-year-old mother in violation of a court order.

Joshua Pier has been missing from Tonasket, Wash. since about 2 p.m. Thursday.

[Faith]

I pray to God the mom brings the baby back safe.

[annalyzer]

I wonder why they were going to take the baby from his momma.

[Faith]

Amber Alert baby found

The missing baby whose absence triggered an Amber Alert has been found.

Okanogan County detectives said 2-week-old Joshua Pier was found in Sedro-Woolley on Wednesday evening after the baby's 18-year-old mother alerted authorities herself.

The mother, Gretchen Pier, called police after learning she had triggered an Amber Alert.

Sedro-Woolley police and Child Protective Services met with the baby and the mother, and took the baby into custody. The baby appeared to be OK, they said.

The baby had been taken Monday by his 18-year-old mother in violation of a court order.

The child was diagnosed with a metabolic disorder and is in need of medical care, the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office said, and a court order was issued to place the child in specialized foster/medical care.

Child Protective Services was going to take custody of the baby, but the mother got tipped to it and split, deputies said.

The mother has not been taken into custody. Detectives said charges may follow.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/45573267.html

[Amusedtdth]

Thats odd that social services wants to take the baby. It dosen't sound like whats wrong with the baby could have been triggered by anything the mom did while pregnant, then again, I'm not a doctor.
Prayers for baby Joshua for his condition and also for the family, may their problems all work out to the best for all.

[PKU]

I thought I would chime in here as to why this child was probably ordered to be taken away from his mother. PKU is a SERIOUS but "treatable" genetic disorder. Strict dietary guidelines MUST be followed, and I bet the mother didn't fully understand what this entails. I may have to do some research into this but I know that it is serious enough that all infants are tested at birth, and immediate action is taken if child is found to be affected. So, my guess is that they wanted to keep the baby to make sure that it got the special care that it needed. I don't know if they do that with all PKU babies or not, which is what I'd need to research.

It is an autosomal recessive disorder meaning that each parent contributed a faulty gene to the child. Anyway, here is a selection from this website http://www.pku.com

PKUnderstood

Phenylketonuria, or PKU for short, is an inherited, genetic condition in which the body can’t process phenylalanine (Phe), an amino acid found in many foods.

PKU is caused by a defect in the enzyme in the body that works to process Phe. This enzyme is called phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). In order for the PAH enzyme to work, it needs BH4, a molecule that is naturally present in your body. When the PAH enzyme can’t do its job, too much Phe builds up in the body.

Phe is found in:

1. All protein-containing foods (eg, meat, eggs, dairy, nuts)
2. Many other foods that are not generally thought of as containing protein (eg, most wheat products, such as pasta and bread, and some fruit, such as oranges and cherries).

If people with PKU followed a normal diet, they would eat more Phe than their bodies can handle.

Too much Phe is toxic to the brain. High Phe levels over an extended period of time can lead to vomiting, irritability, eczema, seizures, psychological and behavioral issues, and severe mental retardation.

Currently, management of PKU consists of limiting Phe intake. This means following a Phe-restricted diet in order to limit the amount of Phe in the body. Several other approaches to management are under investigation.

[sarahhod]

Thanks for the info PKU.

Yes, it can be a very dangerous condition when left untreated. I am so glad the mother and baby was found quickly.

Welcome to HFTM. Hope you stick around.:0012: