The worst 20mins of my life.

The day started like any other, I woke up, got the kids ready for school and as most parents can appreciate we were running late. It wasn't until I arrived at my sons class that I realised it was Tuesday, we were late and his class had already left for the weekly parade.

I decided to drop off his backpack and take them to parade myself, stopping in at my daughter's classroom which is on the way. This is where things started to go downhill, but I still had no idea just how bad our day was going to get in a few moments.

My son started having a massive meltdown the sudden change in his strict routines had been broken and his world was crashing around him. He was violently throwing himself to the ground, screaming, crying and lashing out at me. This is not that uncommon, so we pushed on very slowly.

After a good five minutes we travelled a very short distance to my daughters classroom, luckily I thought to myself her class (six kids including my daughter) and both the teacher and aide were still present. The teacher helped me through the door, and offered to help me get my son to parade by all going together like his class does.

Relieved at the promise of assistance, I helped my daughter unpack her backpack then the class was ready to move. I turned my focus back onto my son, who had found something to play with and had been calm but in trying to get him to move onto parade caused another larger meltdown.

I looked up from where I was trying to get my son to stand and walk, when I realised the door was open. I immediately ask where she is and start looking around the room trying to find my daughter.

She was gone, in a moment the door was open and my baby girl had vanished in front of three well trained sets of eyes. Her teacher a young fit 6ft tall woman ran out of the class with me quickly behind the aid stayed behind with all the other kids.

The thing I have to point out here is this is a special school equipped with many tall fences and gates you have to stop to get through a gate every ten to fourty meters, this is the most secure place available for children with severe disabilities.

The teacher and I ran around the corner, to one of the longest stretches of the school without an internal gate and not a sole was in sight. We then ran up two flights of stairs to check out the library, one of her favorite places still nothing.

Her class along with my son were now moving towards parade, he was still having a meltdown and I had to take him because the aide couldn't handle all the kids on her own while he was losing it. I wanted to be searching for my little girl, but I couldn't just leave my son either and her teacher was still running all over the school looking for her and letting the staff and cleaners know she was missing.

In a moment of desperation I hoisted my 5 year old son over my shoulder, enduring the constant kicking, hitting, thrashing and screams he aimed at me. I ran with him to the far end of the school where his class, teachers and most of the people in the school were attending the weekly parade. I found his aid and breathlessly handed him over, quickly telling her my daughter was missing within the school.

I ran out of the parade to continue searching, I could see several teachers and aides searching buildings, gardens and playgrounds. I realise at the front of the school there is a small area for drop offs she may have slipped through on a parent and it was in the direction she had gone first, so I ran out the front of the school searching the carpark calling out her name. I ran out onto the quiet street the main entrance to the school runs along, looking out both ways no sign of her or anyone.

I think she couldn't have gotten much further than this, so I decided to run back to the school and keep searching within the grounds. Once back inside I was met by the deputy principal, it was his first day back after a long break and we had never met.

By this stage I was a complete wreck tears pouring down my face, hyperventilating in exhaustion and panic. He stayed with me while I ran around the school, when we both realised she would have passed the indoor pool. A new wave of panic hit as we ran through the chlorine stench in the hall, leading to the pool. Bursting through the door we stared for a moment, taking in the sight making sure to check the corners the water was still and no one was in there.

Momentary relief at least she hasn't drowned, but still no one had found her. Again we ran calling out her name, I could now see a small team of people scouring the school corridors and buildings, but no one had caught a glimpse of my little baby girl.

Deciding to double back and check the other end of the school, we thought maybe she had somehow slipped by everyone and gotten to the other end. As I go to open a security gate to get through to the other end of the school, I suddenly hear people yelling out "We've found her".

This is where I lost what little self control I had left and burst into a full blown emotional breakdown, the deputy principal stayed with me while I sobbed uncontrollably. Finally I regain the ability to move forward still crying but mobile again, and I see her coming in through the back carpark with her class aide.

The aide is an older woman but very fit and active, a grandmother herself but she didn't hold anything back the moment she handed the class over to someone to watch them she was out running around the school. I ran up the ramp where, the aide was leading her through the second security gate to get her back inside the school.

I picked her up and held her for a very long time, just standing there crying uncontrollably. I finally managed to attempt to speak and I asked where she found her?

Turns out my little girl not only got through all the gates, but she got out of the school on the busiest side of the school. A random person that happened to be driving by the school had found her sitting on the road and decided to take action and get her back inside the school, seeing my daughters aide running up the hill to the road they handed her over to them and were on their way.

I was escorted back to my daughters class, still crying and not letting my girl go for anything. She seemed completely oblivious to the reason for my distraught state, but she was tired after all the running she had done and was happy to have big cuddles with mum.

I was offered a seat and they got me a drink to help calm me down, I finally got my emotions under control when I saw my little boy walking back to his room with his class happy as could be. I knew both my babies were safe and being watched closely.

My daughter sat on my lap never trying to leave, I noticed she had leaves and twigs strewn throughout her hair, she had dirt on her face and a few scrapes here and there but overall she was fine just very thirsty. She eventually got up and went to play, happy to continue as if nothing had happened.

I finally was in a state where I could communicate, when I was greeted by both deputy principals. They asked me for my account of events and I stressed to them it wasn't the teacher or aides fault. I was still in the room when it happened and that it was as if she just vanished, none of us can figure out how she got past all of us so fast with no hint she was going.

I eventually left for the day knowing, the staff were all on high alert and keeping a very close eye on her. I received a call from the deputy during the day letting me know, that a full perimeter search had been undertaken and they had also done multiple interviews with staff to try and find out what had gone so wrong.

It turns out there were a few issues that contributed to my daughter escaping a fairly secure facility. Firstly they ascertained the path she used to leave the school, she managed to go into the library but instead of coming out the front door the back door had been left open to allow a breeze to come through this meant my daughter gained access to an area with less secure fencing.

It appears she went through the library, out the back door then crawled through a large and dense garden to a point where there was a small space in the fencing. It looks like this is where she got through the security gates and had access to the back of the school and the big carpark. The school is very large and located on the side of a big hill, she had been running up hill the whole time.

She would have crossed the carpark to get to the road, once on the extremely busy road she would have only had to wander down hill to end up on one of the largest motorways in Brisbane. It was a series of events that lead up to this near disaster, it is an event I will always remember even writing about it now made me get all choked up.

We came so close to losing our little girl, this is every special needs parents worst nightmare and it wasn't the first time she has gotten away, unfortunately I can't guarantee it won't happen again but we will always do whatever we can to keep our kids as safe as possible.

The school patched the hole and now the library door remains locked at all times, there is also an alarm on her class door. The school is also currently having a whole new fencing system, installed around the school to ensure this never happens again.

When I think of how things could have gone, how close we came to tragedy and how a random stranger who didn't give a name saved my little girl's life. I haven't been able to find the person to thank them but I will always remember and think of the simple action they took that prevented a possible disaster.

I ask that everyone out there keep an eye out for young children wandering around roads, parks, shops anywhere if they are alone It might be worth asking if they are alright and if they don't respond, they may be nonverbal and need your help more than you realise.

I will be eternally grateful to this stranger and hope this encourages other to action when they see something that doesn't seem right.