After a harrowing few days, 25-year-old Elijah Blanding, who had been reported missing since June 17, was located and is said to be doing well. The young man with a traumatic brain injury disappeared from the Avondale facility that was entrusted with his care. In an update given on Saturday, his uncle Keith confirmed that Elijah had been found, as reported by MSN. Before his disappearance, Elijah was under the care of Community Bridges Incorporated, a healthcare provider that has found itself at the center of the family's plea for answers and accountability.
Elijah's family, already having to confront the tragedy of burying his brother Eamon who died under similar circumstances, was left to not know if Elijah had found shelter or sustenance amid Arizona's brutal summer heat. According to a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix, Elijah's aunt Kindra Reagor expressed their acute worry, speaking of the day's extreme temperatures that soared to about 117°F. She pointed out Elijah's vulnerability due to his mental capacity, likened to that of a 6 or 7-year-old child by the mental health issues resulting from his injury.
Reagor recounted the ordeal with the facility to FOX 10, revealing how their questions were met with confusion and non-responses. The facility, upon being questioned, failed to provide details of who last saw Elijah or what he was wearing. Even when Reagor presented a Release of Information form, she said that the facility refused to release any information.
This lack of information from Community Bridges Incorporated (CBI) was especially jarring for a family still grappling with the loss of Eamon, Elijah's brother, who succumbed to an accidental death with "probably fentanyl intoxication" listed as the primary cause by the medical examiner's report last year. "It hurts because this didn't have to happen. It didn't have to be like this," Reagor told FOX 10, expressing her disappointment with the system which she feels failed to keep her nephew safe.
Despite the initial lack of cooperation, the family remained persistent, filing a report with the Phoenix police on June 19. When FOX 10 contacted CBI regarding Blanding's status, the facility cited patient privacy laws and could not confirm if Elijah or Eamon had been their clients.
