The mother of a 23-year-old Chilliwack woman who has been missing for more than two weeks made a public statement this week to let people know what type of person her daughter is and to urge people to keep looking for her.
Shaelene Keeler Bell has been missing since Jan. 30. Her mom, Alina Durham, spoke with The Progress on Feb. 17.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 emphasis it enough, we want to keep (the search) going for my daughter鈥檚 sake,鈥 Durham said. 鈥淚 will not have my daughter as a missing statistic. I refuse that.鈥
She spoke from her Chilliwack home on Wednesday about what kind of woman Bell is.
鈥淪haelene is the most caring, kind-hearted girl you could ever meet. Anyone who knows her knows she would help anyone in any way she could. She鈥檚 a very loving, people-oriented person.鈥
Bell has lived in Chilliwack most of her life. She moved here as a young girl, attended school and graduated in Chilliwack. She was involved in cheerleading and vaulting and has many friends in the community.
She is a 鈥渧ery devoted鈥 mother and has two young boys, her mom added. Her youngest son has been a patient at BC Children鈥檚 Hospital for most of the last two years, and last year he was the poster child for an annual fundraiser for the hospital.
READ MORE: 鈥 Feb 25, 2020
鈥淕oing through the stress and fear of having a very sick child, she still felt compelled to help Children鈥檚 Hospital raise awareness and money for other children,鈥 Durham said. 鈥淭his is who Shaelene is.鈥
Durham stressed her daughter would 鈥渘ever, never鈥 abandon her children.
鈥淭hey are her entire life鈥 they need their mother.鈥
In her statement, Durham went on to thank the community, friends, family and the RCMP investigation team for their support and search efforts.
People have been looking nearly every day for Bell in the area of Ballam and McSween roads where her vehicle was located.
A local Realtor has stepped up and is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of Bell.
Bell was last seen on Saturday, Jan. 30 when she left her apartment in the 9300-block of Edward Street around 8:30 p.m. Her 2021 Hyundai Tucson that she was driving was found in the 47000-block of Ballam Road two days later on Monday, Feb. 1.
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鈥淚 miss Shaelene so, so, so much. She鈥檚 my whole world,鈥 Durham said.
鈥淚 urge you all out there to, please, do not give up. Everybody keep going until we can bring Shaelene home to her boys and family and friends.鈥
Bell is described as having bleached blonde hair and brown eyes, standing five-foot-two and weighing 95 pounds.
RCMP ask anyone with information to call the police at 604-792-4611 or dial Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
There is also an online fundraiser to help with search efforts and to support Bell鈥檚 boys at .
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