Going to Japan

Transcript:

0:04

We are going to Japan.

It's been a week since I got the information from the detective in Southington stating that in order to proceed with the DNA, my mother and I have to physically go to Japan in order to submit the new familial DNA sample.

0:23

Can't be done any other way.

It was determined by Japan that this is the only way they will do it.

So that's what we're doing.

The detective told me last week that he was working on getting a point of contact for me in Japan so that we can make this as easy as possible.

0:42

So we're not just going to Japan and knocking on, you know, the police headquarters door being like, hey, we're here.

Like we're making sure everything's going to be lined up and make this as easy as possible.

So he informed me last week that he was looking into this just to make sure that we will be ready.

1:01

So I am still waiting on that information.

So you know how when life happens, it always happens at once.

It's like when you have something planned for a Saturday, but you send out invites and somehow everybody else has something going on on that same Saturday, even though for weeks, years and whatnot, nothing's been happening.

1:28

So that's what else has been happening.

Life has been happening all at once at the moment.

So while we have this information, I wanted to jump on and just let everybody know you guys have been following forever.

1:47

Well, at least, you know, since I started doing this with TikTok, the social media and the podcast.

So I really wanted to let you guys know what was going on and I set up a GoFundMe.

I know since I've started this, people have always been asking it and I never felt comfortable, but this felt like it's now or never.

2:08

Let's do this.

So I set that up.

The thing right now, there's still a waiting game, so I still need the point of contact.

And currently my mom is in a situation with her own mom, my grandmother, where she's getting old.

2:25

She's in a senior living facility and some days are good, some days are bad.

She's 94.

So we're in a situation where we're not in a real rush to get to Japan, and I'm not going to put my mom in a situation where she has to.

2:53

She'll go to Japan and something happens to her mom.

So we're kind of waiting and seeing another thing that's also happening.

I've mentioned it a few times, but we are moving my family, me, my husband, and my son.

3:11

We live in Los Angeles and since my grandmother is now in a senior living facility, we're going to be moving to her home and that's back in Connecticut.

So we are also waiting for my husband's business studio lease to be up and that's in April.

3:34

So that's coming up.

So April's coming up.

Then we have to either sell all of your stuff, pack it up, figure out what we're doing on how to move because you know it's a lot and and move.

3:52

So hopefully between end of April, May we'll be back on the East Coast and then we can get a better sense of how my grandmother's doing and then hopefully I think we're aiming for early summer.

4:11

It's one of those situations where it's like, yes, we want to go, you know, yesterday, but you'd literally have to do one thing at a time.

When everything comes at you all at once, you can't do it all at once.

You gotta do one step at a time.

4:30

And since this has taken me literally like 2 years to just build the foundations of getting anything, any kind of movement on Sky's case, I'm patient, OK?

4:45

I hope you guys are patient with me too.

But there's a good that comes in that it will give us enough time to raise a little bit more money.

I'm still working on the numbers.

It's kind of up in the air because I just don't know exactly when I'm booking everything.

5:05

And due to like high seasons and low seasons and tourism, it's a it's a bit hard to gauge.

It can be a really wide number, anywhere between like 15,000 to 70,000.

5:21

It can be really insane.

And plus, I really need to break down where we want to go, how long we want to be there.

If we are retracing our steps, meaning retracing what we did in 2008, I want to know what my mom's comfortable with.

5:38

If she's not comfortable with, like a longer excursion, she may go home early.

It will be, at this point, myself, my mom, and my husband.

I think this will be really good for my husband because he was there when Sky went missing.

5:56

He was.

We were just newly dating.

And then he was thrown into this crazy, complicated family situation that he was not prepared for.

So he's been a part of it this entire time.

And I feel like this will be so.

6:13

I mean, it's, I think it'll be validating for me and for him to like go to Japan and actually see and experience what my mom and I experienced, it's really hard to put into words what that experience was like initially.

6:31

I like, I've tried, but I really, I really can't.

It's something that you literally have to physically be there for.

And I'm sure I I'm glad he won't have the same intensity that my mom and I did when we first went.

6:47

But I think this is going to be so good for him.

And I'm really in a way, excited.

I'm I'm.

I'm excited that we actually have some movement and we can submit the DNA and I'm hoping whether it's getting a hit on the DNA for you know an unidentified corpse or Jane Doe or I mean even if it's nothing at all, this is the most actionable thing we've been able to do in 16 years guys this is huge.

7:26

Huge.

And I'm excited and I'm getting and I'm trying to I'm making a list of like everybody that I need to contact.

So there's just to know just to let everybody in the world know that we're going you know this is huge.

7:47

So what else Oh another thing is too.

So the detective said that we would have to go to Tokyo, but I think we might also have to go to Hokkaido.

8:05

It's just that's where it happened.

That's where Sky's destination was.

I'm waiting to see 'cause I know not everybody knows Japan's geography, so I'm waiting to get confirmation.

8:25

I'm hoping.

I'm hoping that it is Hokkaido, Tokyo.

Of course.

I think that's a place we'll probably have a layover or you know, stop at because I think that is also necessary.

So yeah, there's a lot to still, a lot to still know and figure out.

8:49

I want to say I am I'm glad that we are going to take our time with this.

I'm glad that we have more lead time.

My mom's 70 years old, you know?

And as much as I know, I've seen some comments out there being like, oh, you can go for pretty cheap.

Like, to be frank and not to sound too good, but I'm not putting my mom in a hostel.

9:11

Like, let's just, let's be real.

This is a really, really stressful situation.

And if we have, I want to have as much control over this as possible because it's a situation where everything's just out of your control.

9:28

So that's kind of where I stand.

And I hope you understand where I'm coming from in that sense.

Yeah, this is kind of just an update on things.

9:43

I'm.

I'm just trying to look through.

So yeah, moving my grandma, going to Japan.

There's a lot going on.

And this is just one week after Sky's birthday.

10:01

I'm excited.

I'm feeling a little less overwhelmed today.

I don't know about tomorrow, the next day, or when things really start rolling, but I really the response has been so overwhelming I just.

10:21

I'm at a loss for words.

Everybody that has donated to the GoFundMe or donated through Venmo, I can't thank you enough.

I really can't thank you enough.

We were in a situation back in 2008 where this wasn't a possibility and we went to Japan and we realized very quickly that we we ran out of money.

10:44

We couldn't do anything.

And that's a really sick feeling to have.

And it's something that I just don't see happening this time around.

I just, we're going to do whatever we can by any, by any means necessary.

11:02

So I really can't thank you guys enough.

It means the world to me and my family and I love and appreciate all of you.

If you have a second, please share this.

11:18

Share Sky story.

Sure.

In whatever way you can, whatever way you feel fit.

So I think that's all I got for today, guys.

I hope everybody has a great day.

11:34

Just take if it feels overwhelming at all.

Just one step at a time, one thing at a time.

Because because that's all we can do.

And just make the best of whatever situation you're in.

All the best my friends.