16 December 2023 , 11:05
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"We miss you so much to the point the pain is unbearable."
Those were the desperate words of Alex Batty's grandmother Susan Caruana five years ago as she faced her second Christmas since he was reported missing in Spain. Since then, the 68-year-old who is the teen's legal guardian has spent another four without him.
Now the family are preparing to celebrate another after he was miraculously discovered walking along a rural road in the mountains in the south of France earlier this week. Driver Fabien Accidini found him with just a skateboard and a torch at 3am near the commune of Quillan as he carried out his part-time job delivering medicines to a pharmacy - the 17-year-old had been walking for four days.
Alex Batty had not been seen officially since October 2017 (GMP)Writing in a statement posted on Facebook on December 15 2018, Ms Caruana said: "I have to carry on he may come home!! Gorgeous amazing beautiful boy, our Alex, our (grandson). I hope so much that you see this. Happy Christmas darling. We miss you so much to the point the pain is unbearable. However we hope and pray that your happy [sic]".
She added: "We pray that we will see you again one day...PLEASE!! We aren't getting any younger. We love you so much." The heartbreaking words came almost five years to the day Ms Caruana was able to finally speak to her grandson for the first time since he was 11 over FaceTime.
Missing British boy who vanished in Spain 6 years ago found alive in France
Now Greater Manchester Police has sent police officers on a flight to Toulouse to meet with the teenager before he's expected to be brought home and reunited with his family over the weekend. A spokesperson said a small team had been sent to the French city on Friday.
Susan's heartwrenching message to her grandson (Facebook)His mother Melanie Batty is understood to have moved to Finland, which had been the catalyst for Alex wandering around the French Pyrenees before he was found on Wednesday. Speaking to The Mirror on Thursday, Ms Caruana said: "It was absolutely like a dream when I heard his voice. It was unbelievable."
The gran was said to have been devastated when Alex disappeared and believed he and his mum Melanie and grandfather David had gone to reside in a commune following "an alternative lifestyle". Assistant public prosecutor Antoine Leroy told a news conference on Friday that David was believed to have died six months ago, his death being marked by a “meditation ceremony”.