Shortly after attending her daughter’s wedding in Webberville, Michigan, on September 28, 2024, Joanna Ryan, 52, who is battling Stage 4 cancer, vanished under mysterious circumstances. Given her serious medical condition, the news of her abduction shocked the neighborhood and beyond, inspiring worry and dread for her safety. The bride’s mother had driven her husband’s automobile away from the ceremony with the intention of changing clothes and returning to the festivities at home. But after several hours, Joanna never showed up again, which prompted her family and the local authorities to launch a desperate hunt.
To the great delight of her family and friends, Joanna was discovered safe following an excruciating struggle that lasted nearly twenty-four hours. On her Facebook page, her daughter Darian Garcia posted a message expressing her sincere appreciation, saying, “SHE’S BEEN FOUND EVERYONE THANK YOU!” Darian had taken to social media to raise awareness and request assistance.
At around five or six o’clock in the evening, Joanna, wearing a stunning floor-length black gown and a silver shawl, departed her daughter’s Webberville wedding. This marked the start of an intense and concerning series of events. Taking her husband’s 2018 Dodge Charger, she intended to make a short drive to her home on Lansing’s north side to change into cozier attire before coming back to carry on the festivities. Joanna left in a fairly regular manner, but as the hours went by and her absence worried her family more and more, they sensed something was seriously wrong. As her mother left the wedding, Darian, who had been ecstatic about what should have been one of the best days of her life, immediately became anxious.
Darian was immediately worried about her mother’s unstable condition as well as her location. Joanna was told she had Stage 4 cancer, an incurable disease that was already causing severe damage to her body. Her condition was largely managed by medication, a feeding tube, and a breathing tube, all of which were abandoned when she vanished. Her phone had either died or been turned off, meaning that all calls went directly to voicemail, which could have been a lifeline to her family. Every hour that went by increased the urgency of finding Joanna since Darian and her family knew that her mother’s condition may quickly deteriorate in the absence of medical equipment and attention.