Meagan Splain suffers from two developmental disorders that contribute to her penchant for wandering miles away and becoming lost. Joe Culpepper/Gulf Breeze News Karen Splain is at her wit’s end trying to keep her daughter from wandering

When Karen Splain heard the news in April that an autistic 11-yearold central Florida girl was missing after wandering into a dense swamp, the Gulf Breeze mother of two cringed with empathetic fear.

Splain’s eldest daughter, Meagan, 19, suffers from autism and Smith- Magenis syndrome, complicated developmental disorders that affect millions of people worldwide. Meagan is well-known to local law enforcement agencies and officers because of her frequent wanderings. She has been known to walk or run miles away from her Princeton Drive home, often in the middle of the night when her family is sleeping.

Karen Splain, who is currently unemployed but trying to find work, has managed to equip her home with an alarm system and fencing, but the safeguards are mere speed bumps for Meagan, who can bolt without a moment’s notice.

Here one minute, gone the next . . . Karen Splain (rear) and daughter Amanda (left) try to keep a constant eye on Meagan Splain, 19, who often wanders from their Princeton Drive home in the College Parkway area east of Gulf Breeze. Local law enforcement authorities are familiar with Meagan, who has been located miles away from home during the middle of the night. Splain would like to acquire a personal global positioning satellite (GPS) tracking device to monitor Meagan’s whereabouts but cannot because of the expense. It’s all she and her younger daughter, Amanda, can do to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.

“People with Meagan’s disorder are known as ‘flighter’ people,” Karen Splain said recently. “Autistic people sometime ‘fly’ – wander away – like people with Alzheimer’s do. They get one thing on their mind – getting from point A to point B.

“In Meagan’s case, nothing in between A and B matters; she has no fear. It’s almost like a tunnel; she just wants to go through that tunnel to get there. After that’s achieved, she doesn’t know how to come back.”

In the past couple of years, Meagan has slipped out of her house in the middle of the night and wandered to the Tiger Point Wal-Mart, where she is infatuated with arcade-type, coin-operated games.

In another episode, Meagan decided to scurry to the local cinema, more than a mile away, where officers discovered her hanging out in the arcade.

Another time, Meagan was found lost and wandering in the Naval Live Oaks area of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. She was shoeless and covered by insect bites.

In yet another episode, Meagan was found walking north on the Garcon Point Bridge shortly after an all-points bulletin was issued.

Another time, while the family was in Tampa at the Shriner’s Hospital to get treatment for Meagan, she slipped away during the night and was discovered several hours later more than seven miles away at a 24-hour Toys R Us store. A passing motorist thought it odd that a young woman was on the streets at that time of night and notified authorities.

“The officer said we were lucky to find her,” Karen Splain said. “Tampa is a huge place packed with people.”

Another equally alarming incident occurred on Pensacola Beach in 2008. While enjoying a family swimming outing at Quietwater Beach, Meagan suddenly got into a car with strangers and wasn’t found until seven hours later at the pool of a beach high-rise hotel. She couldn’t tell her mother or authorities how she got there. Thankfully, she had not been molested, but people in the vehicle talked her out of the few dollars she was carrying.

“The police speculate that the people who took her probably got scared and dropped her off at a crowded place so they wouldn’t draw any attention,” Meagan said. “They were never found.”

Karen and Amanda Splain do their best to keep an eye on Meagan at all times. They’ve thwarted more wandering attempts than they can count. But they haven’t always been able to prevent them.

During a trip to the Gulf Breeze Library last year, Meagan bolted and ran to Bruno’s Supermarket, where she took a metal, rolling grocery cart, crossed back over busy Gulf Breeze Parkway and pushed it to Wayside Park at the foot of Three Mile Bridge. A Gulf Breeze Police officer alertly spotted her after the 911 call went out.

When Meagan goes missing, “You feel kind of numb,” Karen said. “Your mind goes in all different directions. You think about all these incidents of kids coming up missing.

“A lot of times when this happens, it’s dark. You’d think she’d be scared, but she has no fear. The thought of possibly never seeing her again is terrifying.”

Amanda, 21, tries to be strong for her mother and sister.

“I’m scared, but I try to be strong for my mom,” she said. “If I’m not strong, I know it will be harder on her.

“Meagan has no fear or need for caution along the highways. One of these days, she’s going to get hit by a car. Sometimes, cars on Highway 98 don’t even stop for red lights.”

Several weeks ago, Meagan was almost hit by an off-duty law officer who was riding his motorcycle through the area. Meagan darted in front of the approaching vehicle seemingly oblivious to the danger.

Karen Splain has contacted numerous agencies seeking assistance in obtaining a GPS tracking system, but to no avail. Some groups have indicated a desire to help, but for whatever reason no one or no group steps forward with a solution.

“The people we’ve talked to say they don’t offer the kind of support that we are seeking,” Splain said. “Some agencies say they don’t have the funding; others say they don’t do anything for children with mental disabilities or autism. Law enforcement says they don’t issue ankle bracelets that some prisoners wear to the general public.

“We’ve had people suggest she wear special necklaces, names on shoelaces, bracelets, but she doesn’t like those things,” the mom said. “The only time she will wear anything is if it cannot be removed. She doesn’t mind it then.”

There are numerous personal tracking devices and systems available on the Internet. But the Splains cannot afford them or the service commitments they require. They live day-to-day on what income they can muster. Splain has been unable to remain employed during the economic downturn.

“It would be a big relief” having a dependable monitoring/ tracking system, Splain said. “If we could track her, we might be able to pick her up in 15 minutes as opposed to seven hours.”

LET’S HELP MEAGAN

Are you or someone you know in a position to help attain a reliable tracking system for Karen Splain’s autistic daughter, Meagan? If so, contact Gulf Breeze News Editor Joe Culpepper at 932-8986 or via e-mail at joe@gulfbreezenews.com to offer assistance.