ORLANDO, Fla. – The Miya Marcano Foundation joined the search Wednesday for a missing Osceola County woman, Paola Miranda Rosa, who was last seen Dec. 18.
Jodi Lewis, the foundation’s board director, said that they acted quickly when Paola’s family reached out to them for help.
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“After speaking with Andrea, Paola’s sister, I knew we needed to get involved. Hearing how much this family is doing and what they are going through is such a familiar feeling,” Lewis said in a news release. “The foundation, although still in its infancy stages, has a global presence and a very large following in Central Florida. We’re committed to helping to bring Paola home safely.”
Lewis said that the foundation has already sent communications to the Orange and Osceola County Sheriff’s Offices, reached out to local representatives, and will use social media to help bring more light to Paola’s disappearance.
Almost two weeks since the 31-year-old was last seen, her father Gustavo Miranda handed out flyers with pictures of her firstborn daughter to passersby at a shopping center on Curry Ford Road in east Orlando.
“Quiero que aparezca (…) Paola es una niña súper inteligente, activa, amigable,” Gustavo Miranda said in his native language while holding back tears, that he just wants her to show up, and that Paola is a smart, active and friendly girl.
“It’s very out of character for her. We have such an open communication in my family,” Andrea Miranda Rosa said about her older sister.
Paola Miranda Rosa was last seen when she had lunch with family members and went to an eye doctor appointment afterward. The next day, her sister Andrea said she was supposed to visit Paola, but she never showed up.
“She usually comes over on the weekends. She tries to make it an every weekend event to see her niece, my daughter, and that was the plan for Saturday,” Andrea Miranda said. “I miss her so much, and you know every day that passes or just like, where is she?”
After Paola was reported missing to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, her car was found at Wekiwa Springs State Park; her belongings, including her cell phone, were inside of the vehicle. The family told News 6 they’re doing all that they can — even using social media — to find her.
“It is a multi-county case at this point. Osceola is handling the missing persons report, Orange County is handling the actual car,” Miranda Rosa said. “They just texted me this morning that they’re gonna hand over the car.”
“No ha habido ningún situación de pelea nada que haya causado esta situación,” Gustavo Miranda said in Spanish, describing how there was no fight or anything that could have caused this situation.
“I pray to God like, to please let us know where she’s at because I know she doesn’t want to be out there alone. I know she doesn’t want to be without us,” Andrea said, emotionally.
The family said Paola suffers from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and had recently stopped taking her medication. Her sister told News 6 they’ve hired a private investigator to help locate Paola, but that they also need the public’s help for any leads about her whereabouts.
“You know, there’s the news, there’s social media, but some people still don’t know about my sister. So, we need to make her face known so that if they happen to see her or if they saw her, we need those tips,” Andrea Miranda said.