WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 Imagine losing everything you love in a moment and somehow churning that heartbreak into a nationwide lifeline for others. 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:10.000 Today we're revisiting a powerful made-for-TV movie based on a true story that changed the way we protect children forever. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:18.000 Stay tuned because by the end of this episode, you'll see how one family's fight still echoes every time you hear that urgent alert sound. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:25.000 Welcome to Family TV Uncovered. If you're tired of wasting time searching for clean, family friendly entertainment, you're in the right place. 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:35.000 I'm your host Jennifer, a lifelong TV enthusiast who grew up on the kind of shows I now spotlight for parents like you. 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:45.000 So skip the scrolling because I'm here to help you discover timeless classics and forgotten TV shows that are perfect for your family. 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:55.000 Hello friends. Let me give you a quick breakdown on where we're headed today. 00:00:55.000 --> 00:01:10.000 First, we'll look back at the real life story behind Amber Hagerman, the little girl whose name you hear every time an Amber Alert goes out. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:20.000 Then we'll dive into the made-for-TV movie that helped share her story with millions of families across the country. 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:35.000 And finally, we'll talk about why Amber's Story still matters today, how it can open important conversations with your own kids and how remembering her each time an alert sounds helps continue with the lifesaving mission she inspired. 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:45.000 You've heard of the Amber Alerts. We all get the alert sounds on our cell phones to tell us that a child's been kidnapped, 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:55.000 and gives us the license plate, car and any other important information to help find a missing child that is at risk of being hurt in some way. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:02:05.000 The alert was actually formed a while back, but it stemmed from the heartbreaking story of Amber Hagerman, 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:15.000 who back on January 13th, 1996, went for a bike ride with her little brother and only her brother returned. 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:25.000 It was about four days later when her body was discovered. 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:35.000 Now the movie does a great job of telling the whole story and I don't wanna give too much information away 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:45.000 'cause I want you to sit down and watch the movie for yourself and have a deeper appreciation for the Amber Alert System. 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:55.000 So I'm just gonna give you a quick breakdown. She was nine years old when this happened. 00:02:55.000 --> 00:03:05.000 And in the film her mother does everything she possibly can to find her daughter. They search, they ask around, the police have her do media interviews to help get the word out. 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:15.000 Because back then all they really had was the media to help spread the word about missing children. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:25.000 Unfortunately, that wasn't enough and this mother was terribly heartbroken. What mother wouldn't be heartbroken to find out their child has been not only kidnapped but murdered. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:35.000 The Amber Alert system was born out of Amber's mother's grief, and her desire for not wanting any other family to go through the horrible experience she went through of losing a child. 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:45.000 Amber's mother had a realization that since we already get alerts for severe weather, why wouldn't there be an alert system for missing children? 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:55.000 And she worked hard to get this system in place. It didn't just happen overnight. It started with her state in Texas. 00:03:55.000 --> 00:04:05.000 It took many steps and visiting legislators and speaking before Congress. And then it moved from state to state and slowly it spread like wildfire 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:15.000 and it grew to where we now have Amber alerts in all 50 states. 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:25.000 The movie came out in 2006, so it came out 10 years after Amber's death, and I found the movie to be very touching, 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:35.000 and I've had the privilege of watching it with my children as well. And I'll come back to that point a little bit later, 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:45.000 but Amber's Story touched so many hearts and it needed to be shared. And one of the ways it reached millions of families was through a made-for-TV movie 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:55.000 that captured both her life and the movement that followed. 00:04:55.000 --> 00:05:05.000 I believe it did a really good job of reenacting the events and telling the story from Amber's mother's perspective. 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:15.000 The actors did a good job in the movie, and there isn't a whole lot of time from the beginning of the movie to where Amber is kidnapped. 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:25.000 In this film, it didn't just focus on Amber. It also weaved the story of another little girl named Nicole Simmons from Riverside, California 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:35.000 that was lost during that time or shortly after Amber's mother had started the Amber Alert System. 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:45.000 She was kidnapped by a neighbor named Glen Park and about the last 40 minutes of the movie focuses on Nicole's story 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:55.000 from being kidnapped and to her being found. And she was only found because of the Amber Alert System. 00:05:55.000 --> 00:06:10.000 One of the touching ways that they weave this story into Amber was that the mother in the movie takes a moment to thank Donna for everything that she's done, 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:20.000 because if it wasn't for Donna she wouldn't have her daughter. And that's so true for all the children that have been found from the Amber Alert System 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:30.000 is all because of Donna and the work that she did through her grief of losing Amber. 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:40.000 This actor, the woman who plays Donna, does a remarkable job of acting. She did an awesome job with the emotions and really tugs at the viewer's heart. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:50.000 But Amber's story wasn't meant to just make us cry. It was a call to action. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:07:00.000 And watching a movie like this isn't just about remembering the past. It's about using these stories as a way to open the door to important conversations with our children 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:10.000 because helping them understand safety, trust, and courage starts with moments like these. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:20.000 Now I mentioned earlier that I watched this movie with my children, and used it as a way to talk about talking to strangers 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:30.000 and not even necessarily strangers that even the little girl, Nicole Simmons, who was kidnapped by her neighbor, it was someone that she knew. 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:45.000 And how being careful even around people that we know not trying to get them paranoid or scared about every person they know, but just to be safe and knowing the signs. 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:55.000 Like someone being overly interested in them or wanting to always do something with them. 00:07:55.000 --> 00:08:05.000 Just trying to take points from the movie that they used to kind of show how children can be targeted from predators, like Glen Park and trying to just use it to talk to my kids about safety. 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:20.000 We've talked about it in the past because as I talked about in a previous episode about Rescue 9 1 1 and how it helps. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:30.000 They've had episodes on kids that have been kidnapped, so we had already talked about safety around strangers and talking to people because of Rescue 9 1 1. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:40.000 But this movie helped bring the conversation even further, because where Rescue 9 1 1 kidnap stories were on strangers kidnapping children, 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:50.000 this one was more about, the safety around people that you think you know. But anyways, you can use this movie as a way to teach your children about safety. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:09:00.000 But above all, I just want you all to just take a moment when you hear another Amber Alert on your phone, 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:10.000 not only to make sure you keep a lookout for the child or the vehicle that they're looking for, but to just take a moment and thank Amber. 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:20.000 We never know when life can change in an instant. And one day that Amber Alert could be your child. So just realize that Amber Hagerman is still saving lives. 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:30.000 Every time you hear that Amber alert, it's because of Amber. 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:40.000 Now, I'm not sure if you're aware, but to this day, Amber's killer has never been found. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:50.000 And I believe any mother who watches this film can definitely put themselves in Donna's position. Donna was Amber's mother's name, 00:09:50.000 --> 00:10:00.000 and I know there's so much heartbreak out there from so many children that go missing and so many children are forgotten. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:10.000 You know, time goes on, but Amber's Story lives on through the Amber Alert System, and so I just thought it was important that everybody takes a moment to remember Amber 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:20.000 and maybe even say a little prayer, and thank her for her legacy and her mother for starting the legacy. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:30.000 Because Donna worked really hard to get that system in place and I think we all owe her a debt of gratitude for starting it. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:45.000 I highly recommend you watch this movie. You can watch it on YouTube and Pluto TV for free, as well as Tubi tv. I'll leave a link for it below in the show notes. 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:55.000 You can also check out my website at familytvuncovered.com/episodes for the links as well. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:11:05.000 That brings us to the end of this Family TV Uncovered episode. I hope you enjoyed learning a little history behind the Amber Alert System as well as the film Amber Story. 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:15.000 Tune into our episode next week where we'll be leaving the old farm behind and stepping into a brand new town, meeting new faces and welcoming back a familiar friend. 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:25.000 Thanks again for tuning in if you liked this episode. Do me a favor and head on over to Apple Podcasts and leave a review and help me grow this show 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:35.000 and share it with your family and friends and with anyone else you think will enjoy this content. Thanks again for listening and I'll catch you next week. Take care.