A Nova Scotia mother is pleading for the public to not forget about her son.

It's been a year since Joshua Slauenwhite went missing from his home in Farmington.

His family is searching for answers - and closure.

In Corinne Cook's kitchen, a calendar hangs in plain view. Reminders are scribbled on almost every day in August -- except Aug. 4.

“You talk about ‘he was,’ but you still believe in your heart that he’s alive, holding out all hope that that's the case,” said Cook.

Cook goes back and forth, using past and present tense when referring to her son.

She hasn't seen him in one year.

“That day was just like any other day except that we had lots to do that afternoon and he opted for not going,” she said.

She was only gone for one hour, and when she came home, Joshua wasn’t there.

She called the RCMP the next day and there was a search for a couple days, but no sign of Joshua.

“I haven't heard his voice since that day,” Cook said.

Slauenwhite graduated from an art school in Alberta. He was ambitious, a prankster, and loved life until a mental illness took over.

She says he knew he was in trouble, so came home to get help.

“One day we went into see him at the hospital and they said ‘he's got schizoaffective disorder, this is what we'll be doing’ and that's what we did,” Cook said.

She feels he didn't get the help he truly needed to treat the illness.

She also doesn't believe the desperate search for Josh got enough attention.

“I get more missing persons information now because I have a missing person of my own,” she said.

The RCMP file is still open.

Lunenburg District RCMP say they’re following up on any leads, but need the public's help to move forward.

“If he’s still with us, he's not getting to use his talent, I don't imagine,” said Cook.

She surrounds herself with Josh's art, which includes bright, sunny and detailed pieces, and lots of pictures of the entire family -- four boys and two girls.

Josh is the oldest child and he stands out. At six-foot-four and 280 pounds, he towers above the rest in the family photo.

Cook doesn't know how someone like this disappears.

“It's a torment you don't get any relief from,” Cook said.

She says Josh was last seen near Mader’s convenience store at the corner of Barss Corner Road and Farmington Road.

Her plea is for the public to keep looking in the hopes she gets some answers and maybe, some closure.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown.