After months of living in confusion, a Jane Doe who couldn’t remember her identity now knows who she is. Her name is Brenda Lee Jones, and she’s from Star City, Arkansas. Finding this information wasn’t easy — it took a determined community service coordinator, a skilled geneologist, and a long-lost relative to put all the pieces together. However, now that Brenda knows her own name, her future is definitely looking brighter!
Before discovering her identity, this Jane Doe was staying at St. Agnes Church in Baton Rouge. It was through this temporary shelter that she connected with Sandra Smith, a community service coordinator who soon made it her mission to discover the lost woman’s identity. This was the only way that they would be able to help her find housing.
“It’s time for her to leave here,” Sandra told WBRZ. “I don’t want her to sleep under the bridge, or die, and I am scared that’s going to happen to her if no one is there for her.”
Although Jane Doe couldn’t remember much, she was able to provide a few names and places that she felt were connected to her past. She believed her name was Brenda Lee Jones, but she wasn’t sure. She thought she might be from Jackson, Mississippi or Little Rock, Arkansas, and that she might have a daughter named Regina.
Armed with these leads, geneologist Shayna Landry started investigating the mystery woman’s background. Not only did she discover plenty of helpful documents for Brenda Lee Jones, but she actually found a relative on Facebook!
“Her niece called me from work that night,” Shayne told People. “At first she was a little skeptical: ‘What? Are you sure? What color was her hair?’ And I was like, ‘I’ll do one better. I have a photo.’ So I took some screenshots and I tagged her in the WBRZ article. And she was like, ‘Oh my God, that is my favorite Aunt Brenda. I haven’t seen her in a long time.'”
With Jane Doe’s identity revealed, Sandra can now help Brenda Lee Jones move on with her life. Current plans include securing housing for her and getting her in touch with the rest of her family.
Memory loss can be extremely frightening and confusing. We’re so glad this Jane Doe’s story has a happy ending!
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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