This Saturday Debbie Harbowy and her family will light some candles for her missing daughter. It will be one year since the Maple Ridge mother has seen Rebecca, but she hasn't given up hope.

"As a parent, my heart is breaking not knowing what has happened to my daughter," she said. "It's been a hard year."

The 36-year-old left Ridge Meadows Hospital on Nov. 23 at approximately 1:20 a.m.  Rebecca was about eight hours into what doctors advised would be a three-day stay, as she detoxed from drug use. She had been at home, but became so sick, she requested an ambulance.

She got to the hospital at about 5 p.m., but early the next morning she walked away. It was a freezing night, and Rebecca did not have a warm coat, phone, identification, or money. Her family believes she was confused and disoriented. She had not eaten in days, and had been vomiting.

Debbie had sat with her daughter until midnight, then went home to sleep. At 1:30 a.m. she got a call from the hospital that her daughter had left.

Debbie immediately went to look for her, driving the streets of Maple Ridge for hours. At 7 a.m. she went to police to report her missing.

Debbie still has not been given satisfactory answers why her daughter was allowed to leave, why staff did not call a cab to take her home, or call her mom. Rebecca lives with her parents in the Yennadon area, and was facing a long walk. 

"All I know is she never made it home from Ridge Meadows Hospital," Debbie said.

In the days that followed, the family canvassed people in the hospital neighbourhood and searched the area. They obtained video showing Rebecca walking down River Road eastbound, near the Port Haney West Coast Express station at 1:46 a.m.

A tipster saw a woman matching Rebecca鈥檚 description walking on the Haney Bypass at approximately 2 a.m. that morning.

Another video showed her on the Haney Bypass at Burnett Street at 2:05 a.m., still heading eastbound.

A man said he almost hit a woman walking on Lougheed Highway near 240 Street, at about 3:30 a.m. He came upon her in the fog, and had to swerve to miss her. That is a less certain sighting, said Debbie, but the description of the woman having her hair up in a bun matched.

After those early leads, they have learned nothing more about Rebecca's movements.

Police and searchers combed roadsides and the edge of the Fraser River, but learned nothing.

Debbie is still fighting for answers from Fraser Health. Did her daughter sign a release form at the hospital? Did staff try to get her to wait for a ride? Why did security walk with her to the edge of the hospital property? There was a review of how her daughter was dealt with. Fraser Health has told her she cannot see the results, because under privacy legislation, only Rebecca could give permission for her mother to see them.

She asks who they are protecting.

"I am trying on her behalf to find out what happened that led up to the hospital irresponsibly releasing her," she said. 

Saturday she is planning to leave candles at the large public signs showing Rebecca's photos, or along the routes where she was last seen walking, and at their home. She leaves them as a visual reminder to the public.

"I would ask everyone to keep listening and looking for my daughter, or clues to her whereabouts," said Debbie.

"Someone knows something. It has been very hard on our whole family. We miss her, and want her home, or knowledge of her whereabouts."

"The pain is still the same."

Harbowy is described as a Caucasian female, 5鈥�6鈥� tall, 170 pounds, with brown/red hair. She was last seen wearing a grey Nike hoodie with black logo lettering on the chest, black puma sweatpants with lettering on the bottom left pant leg, and black and white Nike running shoes.

She has multiple tattoos on her hands, neck, torso and back. Her mother described her hand and finger tattoos as henna style designs, and the word Romeo, for her cat.

If anyone has information regarding Harbowy鈥檚 whereabouts they are asked to contact the RCMP at 604-463-6251 and refer to file #2023-23402. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477.