The family of an Australian woman missing in Mexico say she is as an adventurous soul and loving mother whose daughter is her whole world.
Tahnee Shanks was reported missing after her two-year-old daughter, Adelynn, was found alone outside a church in Cancun on Sunday evening, hours from home.
Ms Shanks's brother, Daniel, remains in North Queensland awaiting news.
He has not slept for days.
"We're scared and tired and we just want to get her home now," he said.
Authorities on Mexico's Caribbean coast have also issued a missing person alert for Adelynn's father.
Two of Ms Shanks's family members flew out of Brisbane this morning in the hope of bringing Adelynn back to Australia.
'Addy made her complete'
Daniel Shanks said his sister packed up and left home in the Whitsundays at the age of 18 and had been travelling the world ever since, occasionally coming home to earn some money.
"All she ever wanted to do was travel, be adventurous and see the world," he said.
"Ten years ago she would have told you being a mother wasn't on her radar, but once it happened she embraced it.
"Addy is her whole world."
Since a relationship breakdown, Ms Shanks has been trying to return to Australia with her daughter.
"She would have been home months ago," Mr Shanks said.
"She thought she could get home easily, but America had shut down visas for Mexican-born people for a period because of COVID.
"She's had to go and get an Australian citizenship and passport for Addy to try and divert around that issue."
Mr Shanks said he would not normally speak to the media.
"This is the only way we're able to get the embassy to start taking this seriously … by making all this noise," he said.
"All of a sudden, we're getting help.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to the family.
A spokesperson from the Queensland Police Service said the organisation was liaising with the National Missing Persons Coordination Centre and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to communicate with Mexican authorities.
International support during crisis
The Shanks family said they were grateful to have support from communities in Queensland, as well as help from Mexican locals.
Mr Shanks said the man who found Adelynn on the street had since helped collect supplies for the girl.
She is now in foster care.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by a friend who grew up with Ms Shanks in Conway Beach.
Ella Stower said she created the page to help the family bring Adelynn home.
Mr Shanks said any support would help.
"We can't take Addy through the US, so we need to bring her via an alternative route and we've been told it's like $7,000 a head to bring them home," he said.
Witnesses place father at church
Ms Shanks's family allege several witnesses saw Adelynn's father leave her outside the church.
"Things had gotten worse in the last however many months," Mr Shanks said.
"He's been to jail several times, we've been told.
"Neither him or Tahnee have been seen since."
Mr Shanks said Tahnee had recently bailed Adelynn's father out of prison and that they went on a holiday to a small fishing village about two hours from Cancun.
Ms Shanks's home is four hours from Cancun, in Merida, the capital city of the Mexican state of Yucatan and Mr Shanks said there was no reason for them to be in Cancun.
"We're getting information from the embassy and that's about it … Mexican police — zip," Mr Shanks said.
"The only information we've got from them was when one of Tahnee's friends went in and started asking questions."
That person was Adelynn's paediatrician, who Mr Shanks said translated a conversation with the police detective in charge over the phone.
Mr Shanks said the embassy had sent photos to the family confirming Adelynn's safety and wellbeing, and that his brother and mother had been informed they would be picked up from the airport.
"They'll get them straight to the embassy to get a passport sorted and get Addy," Mr Shanks said.
The family has also been in touch with a lawyer who lives in Mexico.
"All the legwork and paperwork she's got done in the meantime has taken days off getting the police up and running," Mr Shanks said.
"They've searched Tahnee's house … they've set up cameras, they've got a police officer there 24/7."
Mr Shanks said he was "trying to keep it together" as best he could.
"I'm tired," he said.
