MORGANTOWN, Pa. — A New Jersey woman is hitting the open road on a mission to commemorate the lives of missing people.
On Saturday, Nancy Bird set off from her home in Millington, New Jersey to Nebraska to attend the state's first Missing Persons event.
Nancy is the wife of David Bird, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, who went missing from his home in 2014. David was found dead not too far from their house after being missing for 14 months.
“It was completely out of character for him to have not come home, so I knew something bad happened," explained Bird. "There are sleepless nights; you can’t eat, and you can’t function. It’s hard to believe the world even goes on.”
Bird said the nonprofit group 411 Gina helped connect her with other families with missing loved ones. She said she now wants to return the favor as she drives to Nebraska.
“My mission is to connect with these people along the route, so I can comfort them and support them in any way I can," said Bird. “It’s a club you never want to join. You don’t want to know what that’s like.”
Bird's first stop was in Morgantown, Chester County, where Toni Sharpless went missing from her home over 15 years ago.
Gina Miller, a local musician, said she has been advocating for Toni on behalf of her mother at recent shows.
“She disappeared in Gladwyne, Pa. after going to a party for Wille Green and the Sixers," said Miller. "Donna has never stopped and will never stop looking for her daughter and trying to put together the pieces.”
As she travels the country, Bird hopes to keep the memory of missing people alive so their families can find closure.
“It’s so important to have the media coverage to let people know this is real and people go missing every single day," expressed Bird.
Nebraska Missing Persons Day is on October 17th.