Alberta mom pens best-selling book about her son's disappearance
The mother of a Beaumont man who has been missing for more than four years has written a book about her family’s experience.
Ryan Shtuka was last seen leaving a house party in Sun Peaks, B.C., on Feb. 17, 2018. He was 19.
- Teen missing after Sun Peaks house party
- 'Keep the hope up': Beaumont comes together for missing man
His mother Heather says the book, Missing From Me, started as a series of online posts after Ryan went missing and his family travelled to Sun Peaks to search for him.
“I was just recovering from a torn Achilles, so I wasn’t able to go out physically searching. As a parent, when you have your partner out searching every day, you just sort of feel like there’s not much you can do. I felt helpless,” she told CTV News Edmonton.
“I wanted Ryan to be known. I wanted people to know it was more than just a missing child. I wanted to have more than just attributes saying he was loyal and handsome and funny, I wanted him to be real.”
Ryan Shtuka is seen in photos released by RCMP. Supplied.
She sat down and wrote the book from the posts during the pandemic.
“COVID hit and we had months and months of being at home, and she had all this time, and she really put pen to paper, and it really took off,” said Ryan’s dad Scott.
The book has become a bestseller, but Heather says it’s bittersweet.
“I’m humbled and incredibly overwhelmed by the amount of attention its received thus far.
“At the end of the day it’s hard to celebrate anything that comes from it, except maybe an awareness piece, because it’s always born on the brunt of Ryan’s tragedy.”
The couple hopes families going through a tragedy can take solace from the book, knowing they’re not alone.
“People can look at our beginning, and our middle, and for now there is no end for us, to see as they are beginning their own journey that there is ways to navigate,” Heather said. “We’re not saying that anything we have done is the be-all-end-all of how you would approach a missing person, but it brings awareness to other people.”
The book is available on Amazon, Chapters, and other major booksellers.
Since Ryan’s disappearance, Heather has also co-founded a non-profit organization called Freebird Project to help families with support and resources when a loved one goes missing.
She hopes the book and the non-profit serve as a legacy for Ryan.
“In his absence I felt honour-bound maybe to make sure I could preserve it in some way, so long after Scott and I have left this earth there will be a record of Ryan and people will be able to read his story and know how much he is loved and how much he matters.”
With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.