The Garden of Hope

AUDREY Fitzpatrick, the mother of missing Irish girl Amy Fitzpatrick returned to La Cala de Mijas for a touching ceremony at the Garden of Hope. 

The garden, close to the school Amy attended before she disappeared aged just 15, is a beautiful tribute to her and four others who have gone missing from Mijas: Juan Antonio Gomez, Isabel Cortes, Francisco Ruiz, and John Leach. 

On Monday September 12 Audrey, her niece who was like a sister to Amy, and others commemorated the one year anniversary of the garden’s opening, and, for Audrey, eight years and eight months since Amy’s disappearance.

Having last spoken with her daughter on New Year’s Eve 2007, Audrey has been relentless in her quest to find out exactly what happened to Amy and why she disappeared. For more than eight years she has travelled throughout the region publicising the case in the hope that someone somewhere will recognise her daughter’s bright blue eyes. 

Audrey has told the Euro Weekly News that she is tremendously grateful to the Spanish people and expatriates who have been devoted in their support. The Guardia Civil continues to treat Amy’s case as open and active, and are as determined as ever to get to the bottom of her mysterious disappearance. 

Well-loved in the local community, Amy is terribly missed to this day and her mother is met on every trip to Spain by empathetic residents who remember Amy fondly and offer their prayers. A missing abroad website was also graciously set up by the Lucy Blackman trust.

Hope for Amy is kept alive at the Garden of Hope with a special area adorned with Irish memorabilia, photos and handmade ornaments, freshly kept throughout the year.

Anybody who thinks they may have seen Amy or know any information related to her disappearance can contact the free UK hotline on +44 (0) 800 0988 485, the UK or Irish police on 999, and the Spanish/European police on 112.