The youngest of seven children, Edla first left Barbados to live in England for five years. She then moved to Canada, and on to New York City. She and Basil met at a party, married, and, in 1969 she gave birth to their son, Paul. In 1975, they moved to Los Angeles in search of new opportunities. They worked hard at full-time jobs and ran a catering business on the side to put their son through college. For 25 years, Edla was a teacher's assistant in the children's center for the Los Angeles Unified School District, shaping and molding future generations. She connected so well with the children that, even after she retired, the school would call her if children were naughty.

Her family can relax, knowing that Edla
is in a safe environment

But Edla's memory started to fail. Basil retired and became her full-time caregiver. In February, while shopping at a local mall, Edla and Basil became separated. Edla boarded a bus and rode it to the end of the line. When the bus driver asked her to get off, she refused. The sheriff was called, and Edla spent the next five days at the county hospital, unable to tell them her name because of the progression of Alzheimer's. Meanwhile, her family searched frantically for her, with help from LA Police Department detectives, website and an all-points-bulletin. Edla was finally able to tell the hospital her first name, and that information eventually enabled officials to reunite her and her family. They immediately enrolled her in the WISE Adult Day Services Center three days a week. This gives Basil a much-needed break, and her family can relax, knowing that Edla is in a safe environment.