The Commercial-News, Danville, IL

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July 24, 2007

Cancer victim finds her family

Care providers hope for in-person reunion

BY BARBARA GREENBERG

COVINGTON, Ind. — A terminally ill woman will have the chance to speak with, and perhaps even see, the family she lost contact with nearly a decade ago.

Tammy (Baird) Snow, a former Danville resident now in hospice care at Odyssey Healthcare of Cleveland, was diagnosed with cancer less than a year ago. Now she is in the final stages of her life.

Cindy Grant, the facility’s medical social worker, described Snow’s condition as “a slow, steady decline. She’s comfortable, though.”

Snow lost touch with her children after serving time for check forgery. She expressed to Grant her desire to be reunited with them and other family members.

Grant reached out to Snow’s children via the Commercial-News. The story drew response from more people than she expected.

“I’ve spoken to her daughter Angel, her brother Steve, her father’s cousin and old friends,” Grant said.

“Angel and Tammy’s son George live in Covington, Ind., and her brother Steve lives in Danville. Both Angel and Steve want to see Tammy. I haven’t been able to contact George yet. Tammy has about six grandchildren that she has not seen.

“She’s had lots of cards and letters from (former) neighbors and friends, all praying for her.”

One unexpected source of help also read about Snow’s situation and called Grant. Jack Smith, a private investigator with a Danville office, volunteered his services to locate Snow’s son, Jasper. His own brother and sister hadn’t known his exact where-abouts for the past three years.

Smith, who worked the case pro bono, said, “I got lucky right off the bat.

“The family knew their brother was in the Louisville area, but they just had an approximate age and no date of birth. I was able to get an address and phone number, and I confirmed he was the same person the family was looking for.”

“I was glad to be of assistance for a good thing,” he said. “Most of my work is on the other side.”

Grant said, “We have the potential for two family reunions now.”

The social worker hopes to set up a conference call between Snow and her family in the nursing home’s administrative offices.

The next step, if everyone involved agrees, is an application to the Dream Foundation for help arranging a face-to-face reunion.

“I’ll tell them what Tammy’s dream is and why it should be granted,” Grant said.

“With the Dream Foundation’s help, we could bring the family to Cleveland. I think that bus tickets, or maybe even a limousine, would cost less than plane tickets.”

Anyone with further information to help Tammy Snow can reach her care providers at (888) 995-1740 or via e-mail to Clevelandodyssey@msn.com.

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