Neil Jones knows firsthand about parental alienation. He has not seen his daughter for two years due to what he deems “brainwashing” by the child’s mother. As a father who has been kept away from his child, he can relate with people who also struggle in their attempts to reconnect with loved ones. He understands the frustrating barriers they face on a daily basis.
Now, he’s trying to create an app for that.
Cutting-Edge Technology Carving Through Personal Obstacles
Combining empathy with an entrepreneurial spirit, Jones embarked on a Kickstarter campaign to fund creation of a digital platform called Absent4u. The website and app would serve as a portal to help children who have lost touch with key people in their lives.
In addition to reestablishing contact between parents and children, the project’s creator also sees the portal as useful for:
- Fostered or adopted children
- Missing people
- Military personnel in active service
- Individuals suffering from illness who wants to leave a digital footprint for alienated loved ones
- Family members needing a less intrusive way to reach out to alienated loved ones
The database would allow users to upload and continually update information about themselves and their lives. When children or other loved ones are ready to reconnect, they can find information directly from the source.
Jones is careful to clarify that Absent4U is not a form of social media. All user data is secured and private. Access to records is only available when an individual wants to learn about someone else as they consider a potential reunion.
Absent4U is still in development. Pending completion of a successful Kickstarter campaign, Jones hopes to deliver the platform by May 2017.
