Finding missing woman a ‘miracle,’ says her grandson
Scarborough woman with Alzheimer’s found Boxing Day night
When 74-year-old Shirley Lee was found two days after going missing from her home on Christmas Eve, it felt like a “miracle” for her grandson Christopher Chase.
“I can’t describe it anyway else,” he said. “If she hadn’t been found, another couple hours, the temperature, with the wind chill, it would have been her last night.”
Lee, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s last year, had left her Scarborough apartment on Monday about 9 p.m.
“Apparently she had done this before,” Chase said. “But she’d always come back.”
So when she hadn’t returned after 20 minutes, her husband, Don, first called their daughter, Chase’s mother, then the rest of the family.
What started as a search led by Lee’s family became, within 24 hours, a Level 3 police search, the highest level. Toronto police deployed mounted and marine units, set up a command post, and even put out drones.
Over 48 hours, Lee was spotted twice. Police said she was first sighted in the area of Lawrence Ave. E and Morningside Ave., and later in the area of Eglinton Ave. near Kingston and Markham Rds., with police releasing surveillance photos to the public.
Police didn’t ask for citizen volunteers. But professional dog trainer Margaret Pender decided to lend a hand, after catching wind of the search Wednesday morning via Facebook, with the aid of a friend’s bloodhound named Fletcher.
The search was called off when Lee was found at 9:30 p.m. on Boxing Day. Police said she was found by a citizen.
Lee was located in a gated area near Cornell Jr. Public School, Chase said, close to where he lives. She was just “leaning against a wall,” he said.
“To know that she was basically at my front door, I was like ‘Wow, she was right there.’ And we were all looking in the area where the footage was, and for her to make it all the way out there. I’m not sure what route she took, but she was on the back roads, not even on the main roads,” Chase said.
When Lee was checked into the emergency room, her core temperature was 26 C, Chase said. She was so “delirious” that she didn’t resist medical attention, he said. Lee was diagnosed with hypothermia, which happens when body temperature falls below 35 C.
Lee has since been recovering, resting at Scarborough General hospital on Thursday with a normal body temperature. She’s spent most of the day being checked by doctors.
Now the family is focused on getting Lee back in good health, and getting her proper care.
Chase said he hopes Lee’s story raises awareness about Alzheimer’s and its effects. Lee’s family had tried getting her into a care facility but were faced with extensive waiting lists, he said.