8/15/2024 UPDATE: Spencer was found safe on the evening of August 14, just one day after this story was published.
It's been two weeks of worry for a Grand Haven mother.
Her 16-year-old son, Spencer Cody, has been missing since July 30.
He hasn't been in contact with his mom — and she has no idea where he could be.
Brandi Whitaker, Spencer's mom, said, "I wake up in the morning and for a split second I forget that he's not here, and then I remember — it's just a heartbreak that you never would want to experience.”
Simply put — she is desperate for her son to come home.
“You have no idea what it feels like to not know where your child is," Whitaker remarked.
Whitaker says that on the evening Spencer ran away, he left on foot with nothing but the clothes on his back.
“As a mom, you really only feel like your child is safe if they're in your arms,” she added.
Whitaker has recently taken to Facebook to spread the word, claiming that one of her last conversations with Spencer was him admitting he needed help. He just didn't know what kind of help.
“I think it was just a lot of peer pressure, wanting to fit in,” Whitaker said.
Whitaker explained that this is not the first time Spencer has run away from home. She tells me that the previous time, Spencer was found at his dad's house.
“Dad had fallen and broken his hip at the beginning of July, and I think that's why Spencer left — it was because he knew Dad was alone and he was concerned about him,” Whitaker said.
Grand Haven Public Safety, according to Whitaker, is periodically checking his dad's apartment to see if Spencer is there.
“I can't take a deep breath," she remarked.
If Spencer sees this, here is a mother's plea to her son: “I would love Spencer to know that I love him. I care about him, and there are a lot of people who are willing to help him. All he has to do is pick up the phone and call."
Today, we reached out to the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, who told us they're treating this case as a runaway situation.
If you know anything, you're asked to contact deputies at (616) 738-4000.
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