Mum-of-three Tracey fears for son Finn who lives with a range of disabilities and constantly runs away

It’s a parent’s worst nightmare — waking up in the middle of the night, to find your child missing. Mum-of-three Tracey tells her recurring, panic inducing story.

Finn who has a rare genetic disorder called Mowat-Wilson syndrome, autism, intellectual disabilities and epilepsy often attempts to escape his home in the middle of the night leaving his single mum constantly living in fear. Picture Brett Hartwig

Mum-of-three Tracey woke up in the middle of the night to find her 10-year-old son missing.

Hours later, Finn, who lives with a range of disabilities, was found 750m from his Seaford Rise home covered in dirt, barefoot and having reportedly been wandering with a “strange woman”.

“God knows what was happening and this woman just abandoned him and left … when she got wind the police had been called,” Tracey, who didn’t want her surname published, told The Advertiser.

“My thought is, what were your plans with my son?”

Since the incident, which occurred on December 18 last year, Finn, who is mostly non-verbal, has made frequent attempts to abscond the home leaving his mother distraught and anxiety ridden.

“I still am not over what happened that night and the constant underlying fear of him getting away from people and being hit by a car … is always there,” the 45-year-old said.

Finn recently escaped through a gap in the fence and while his support workers went out to collect him his mum was overwrought.

“I was crying because I went inside and I just thought, this is it … he’s gone … this will be it this time,” Tracey said.

“I feel like it is just a matter of time.”

Finn, 10, was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Mowat-Wilson syndrome, autism, intellectual disabilities and epilepsy. Picture Brett Hartwig

Diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Mowat-Wilson syndrome, autism, intellectual disabilities and epilepsy — Finn has a high pain tolerance, a poor understanding of risk and consequence and no concept of danger according to his behaviour analyst Koomal Kaur.

Since the absconding began, Tracey has applied for additional NDIS funding to install a security system — which she said would cost at least $2000 — as well as a range of modifications to make her home safer for Finn.

“There’s something that needs to be done here to ensure that this child can be protected,” Emily Martin, Finn’s support worker said.

“The pressure it’s placing on Tracey to have constant vigilance, one-on-one, to supervise him throughout the night — it’s a lot.”

Tracey said that about 2am Finn had stolen the hidden house keys and used them to sneak out.

When she realised, she woke up her foster brother 19, who she became a full-time caregiver for when he was 16 and also lives with disabilities.

“I was just in action mode and I was not processing the reality of what was happening because if I had processed that at the time, I probably would not have been able to cope with it,” Tracey said.

“It was very traumatic.”

Eventually police found Finn and one of his former support workers Sam Hulst went to collect him and bring him home.

“Despite all the troubles that he has had in his life, he is just the happiest kid,” Ms Hulst said.

“He wants to be independent … he wants to do everything himself, even if that puts him at risk.”

Finn often attempts to escape his home in the middle of the night leaving his single mum constantly living in fear that something will happen to her son. Picture Brett Hartwig

When Finn got home, Tracey said he was extremely quiet and was tip toeing.

“I checked his feet and he had indents on the base of his feet from walking on probably bitumen, which is scary because bitumen is the road rather than the footpath,” she said.

Ms Hulst said the police found him in an area Finn had never been before.

“I was so grateful he was alive, because the reality is, with Finn he will take risks,” she said.

Ms Kaur said Finn struggled with safety awareness, sometimes resorting to physical aggression, self harm or property destruction as a means to communicate what he wants.

“He is not able to independently look after himself or keep himself safe,” she said.

Ms Kaur said kids like Finn can be exposed to “highly restrictive practices” because of these sorts of “behaviours of concern”.

“Parents don’t have any other option than to keep their child locked up just to make sure that it’s safe, so these environmental modifications are so important so Finn has an enriched life and he’s not traumatised,” Ms Kaur said.

A National Disability Insurance Agency spokesperson said the request for a reassessment of Finn’s NDIS supports, which was received in late December 2024, was currently being actioned by the NDIA.

They said the NDIA’s priority was ensuring the safety and wellbeing of participants, and ensuring they received the disability-related supports they needed.

To donate to Finn, you can here.

Originally published as Mum-of-three Tracey fears for son Finn who lives with a range of disabilities and constantly runs away