Ellen Van Der Bosch is a Southern California mother who knows the painful reality of having a child go missing. Her only son is one of the nearly 60 million Americans living with mental illness. For more than a decade, she has been trying to get him the care he desperately needs. Spectrum News reporter Nathalie Basha has been documenting her story and joined Lisa McRee on “LA Times Today.”
Basha made a half-hour documentary about Van Der Bosch after first covering her story in 2021. Van Der Bosch has not slowed down since then.
“The story really is at its core about a mother’s love for her son. And she will go to no ends to help him. And I was blown away when I found out when talking to her about her son, who has got mental illness. He’s living homeless on the streets. He has a drug problem. Ellen is not alone, there are many other moms and family members who are in the same position. Ellen was really a representative of that community that I feel really needs to be highlighted.” Basha said.
Van Der Bosch and other parents have created a system called “Textwich,” where they hand out food to homeless people in exchange for information on where their loved one’s may be. Basha said that 100 people have been located through the program.
Van Der Bosch’s son, Max, struggles with mental health problems and drug addiction. Basha explained that his mother’s mission is more urgent than ever since he faces jail time for stealing a car last year.
“He was given a plea deal, which is court mandated rehab or 4 to 7 years in state prison. But Max doesn’t really have the mental capacity right now to understand the severity of that situation. So it’s really upped the ante for Ellen to get him off the streets because she does not want to lose him to the prison system. In this documentary where we’re following her, it’s really her last chance,” Basha said.
Watch the full interview and a portion of Basha’s documentary above.
Watch “LA Times Today” at 7 and 10 p.m. Monday through Friday on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News app.