Elizabeth Smart is celebrating the 19th anniversary of the day she regained her freedom with a family picture following a horrific ordeal.
She reunited with the the family on March 12, 2003, after been kidnapped at the age of 14 and spending nine months in captivity. On Saturday, March 12, Smart, now a 34-year-old activist for missing children, posted on Instagram a photo of herself with her husband, Matthew Gilmour, and their three children daughters Chloe, 7, and Olivia, 3, and son James, 4.
“I have always believed in Miracles but today marks the 19 year anniversary of the biggest miracle I ever experienced,” Smart wrote. “I just wanted to briefly say thank you to everyone who helped rescue me. Thank you to those of you who prayed for me, searched for me, and supported me all those years ago through today. I will forever be grateful. I am happy today, and feel so lucky to have found my husband and best friend, and to be the mother to my three babies.”
She continued, “For a while this dream felt far out of reach in fact completely unreachable. So today I want to say to those still searching you will always remain in my prayers and I refuse to lose hope that your loved ones will be found, and to those still missing don’t give up miracles happen, you deserve to be found, rescued, and to have happiness, and finally to those who are struggling along the way; no matter what point you find yourself, don’t give up. You never deserved to be hurt. You deserve to be believed, supported, loved, and happy.”
Smart ended her post with, “Everyone has a story and challenges, you are not alone. God bless all of you.”
Adapted from E! News
