'RHOA' star Shereé Whitfield's mother comes back 18 days after she went missing
On Friday, April 10, former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Shereé Whitfield took to her Instagram to deliver the good news to her followers that her mother, who had gone missing on March 23, had been found 'safe & healthy' and was back home with her family.
“Thank you for all the prayers, they WORKED!” a post shared on Whitfield’s social media page read. “My Mom has been found safe & healthy. She is with family now. I couldn’t have gotten through this without your support! GOD IS GOOD!”
She captioned the post, “The power of prayer is UNdeniable!”
Thelma Ferguson, 72, was last seen leaving her home in Sandy Springs, Georgia, to go to the bank. She had been missing ever since. Two days before she was found, Whitfield shared the news of her mother's disappearance. Since then, the news was circulated by her fans as well as a number of media outlets. Many of Whitfield’s past Housewives costars also helped spread the information.
“Mom, please just come home to us or let us know that you are okay,” Whitfield begged at the time. “Your grandkids and family are worried sick.”
She thanked all her supporters who helped to get the word across. “We want to thank everyone for the enormous amount of love, support and prayers that my family has received,” Whitfield previously told People magazine in a statement. “Anyone who knows my mom, Thelma, knows that she is a free spirit who travels often and dances to the beat of her own drum. But, she has never been away this long without communicating with us.”
The reality TV star added that she was initially “hesitant” to speak out about the situation because she is “pretty private when it comes to my family.”
She went on to explain that her mother often takes “personal vacations without letting the family know and we respect that side of her.” However, this is the longest she has gone without reaching out to anyone from the family or her friends,” Whitfield said at the time. “Right now we are leaning on God and staying positive and prayerful for her safe return home.”
Whitfield also thanked the Sandy Springs Police Department “for their help in trying to locate her whereabouts. At this time, we remain positive and are keeping the faith that she will return to us safe and sound.”
Everyone who followed Whitfield on her 'RHOA' journey knew that she shared a very close relationship with her mother on the show, with Ferguson often making appearances on the series. In fact, in a season 10 episode, the cast members got together to celebrate her 70th birthday with a huge, disco party.
“My mom is my hero; she always worked so hard to provide for me and our family,” Whitfield said at the time in her BravoTV.com blog. “It felt good to be able to do this for her and make this milestone birthday so special for her. She had a smile on her face the entire night!”