2/17/06 Lost and Then Found

It's always helpful for families of the missing to hear about a "success" story. It gives us hope that our own story might end that way. It can be a boost on a cloudy day when otherwise we might feel down and helpless.

I had heard of this man's case, but did not follow it closely. There are just too many, unfortunately, to be able to do that. Jim Viola, husband of missing Patricia Viola, sent me the story this morning to share with all of you, just in case you did not already hear about it.

The miracle man is Raymond Power, Jr.. He was a successful NYC attorney, married, with children. He disappeared without a trace on August 1st of last year. His photo was spotted on America's Most Wanted, and the mystery of his disappearance ended.

Here's a brief from AMW:

"Imagine being homeless and wandering the streets, but having no idea who you are or where you came from. That was the life of a man who called himself Jay Tower for nearly seven months -- until another man at his shelter dedicated himself to finding answers for his new-found friend, and uncovered the truth.

Four months ago, Jay Tower showed up at the Pacific Garden Mission shelter in Chicago without any concept of his own identity or past. Tower, who was known at the shelter for being extraordinarily kind and caring, would often break down and cry out of frustration because of his amnesia.

While at the shelter, police say another homeless man, Ron Fitzgerald, befriended Tower -- and made it his personal mission to help his friend uncover his past.

Police say the truth was uncovered when Fitzgerald went to the Chicago Public Library on Feb. 13, 2006 and logged onto AMW.COM. There, he saw the photo of a man named Raymond Power, a former police officer and successful lawyer with a loving wife and family who had gone missing in August 2005. Fitzgerald immediately realized that Jay Tower was actually Ray Power, and contacted AMW.

Immediately, police in New Rochelle, N.Y. and Chicago jumped on the tip. Fingerprints confirmed Power's true identity, and his family flew to Chicago to be reunited with the man they thought they'd never see again. Police say Power is now undergoing evaluations as they try to determine how he got to Chicago from New York -- but his family is simply grateful that he's alive."

I hope that mental health professionals will now be able to help Ray remember his past.

You can read more about this amazing recovery story at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/16/nyregion/16memory.html

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060216/NEWS02/602160347/1019/NEWS03