The family of a missing Warsaw woman is celebrating this week after a call from Boston, Mass. came, the person on the other end of the line telling them she was alive and well.

Darlene Wilson, 45, of 137 Marion Drive, Warsaw, was reported missing by family members in early August after she hadn’t been heard from in weeks.

A Silver Alert was immediately issued for Wilson, whose parents live in Newton Grove, but despite a frantic search by family members and weeks of no new information, the case remained cold.

That is until a Social Security worker called Wilson’s mental health team in Sampson County and said that she was located in Boston on Thursday, Aug. 27.

“It was a great phone call,” said Wilson’s sister and guardian Luretha Lewis. “It was just tremendous for all of us.”

Lewis said that Wilson, who suffers from a cognitive impairment, was without her medications and somehow found her way to Massachusetts.

“She told us that from Warsaw she just got on a bus to New York,” Lewis said Monday. “From there she made her way to Boston. Her story has changed a few times, so we really don’t know for sure how she got there, but we do know that she was taken care of.”

In fact, Lewis said that despite missing her medications, Wilson’s physical health was “fine.”

“We had no idea she would be in as good a shape as she was in,” Lewis admitted. “God has been really good to us.”

Helping to make sure Wilson was taken care of was the Pine Tree Women’s Inn.

“When we heard she was there, we got in our car and drove to get her,” Lewis said. “I was really impressed with the facility. They really took good care of her ... we can’t thank them enough.”

Lewis also said she was grateful for the workers and the man from the Social Security office who helped close the mystery of Wilson’s disappearance. “He said he was just doing his job,” Lewis said of the worker. “And everyone we have talked said the same thing... it was just overwhelming. The people at the Pine Tree Women’s Inn told me that they love that this story had a happy ending. One of the workers told me that in her 12 years of working there, this was the first time a family came so quickly to get a family member — she said that it makes her job worthwhile. That was very touching to me.”

Wilson’s triumphant return to church this past Sunday garnered her a standing ovation from members.

“It was great, because everyone at church was praying hard for her return,” said Lewis. “And now that she is back, it lets everyone know that a miracle has happened; it is just wonderful.”

Wilson is now getting treatment in the Goldsboro area.

To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or send e-mail to sisports@myclintonnc.com.