For father, John Barbella, spending even a minute away from his autistic son Joseph can seem like an eternity.
So whenever he turned his back ‘for a second’ to discover that the 16-year-old had wandered out the front door in the middle of a vicious storm known as a nor’easter—needless to say, John was panicked.
After about twelve hours passed, nerves continued to rise as the 16-year-old’s father and mother (who was also battling cancer) feared the worst.
Knowing the limitations his autism imposed, they worried what the fierce winds and relentless downpour could do to their son both physically and mentally. With the power to take out power lines and snap oak trees in half, Joseph certainly wouldn’t stand a fighting chance out there for long.
Thankfully, an intuitive neighbor named Michael was on high alert when he awoke and learned of the missing teen.
Upon taking a glance at his shed, Michael realized it bore an unusual resemblance to a clubhouse. After watching a documentary on autism recently, he recalled that people with the condition often liked to find hiding places. On a “hunch” Michael decided to check inside his shed to see if the teen may have been using it as a safe haven.
Sure enough, when he opened the door, he found Joshua curled up sleeping on the floor, using only a golf bag and toys as his pillow.