The case of Matthew Robillard has a happy ending, but that's not the situation in another missing person's case, at least not yet.
Sandra Mykytiuk-Evans vanished from her southwest Calgary home more than a month ago.
On Saturday, her family began laying the groundwork for a massive search they hope will help find their mom.
Laura Evans didn't think she would still be calling hospitals, searching city parks, and chasing leads five weeks after her mom’s disappearance.
“It seems pretty much like yesterday, it’s been an excruciating month, it doesn't feel like January has come and gone.” She says.
Sandra Mykytiuk-Evans vanished on December 29, 2012. Her phone, wallet, and even her jacket were all left behind.
A month of investigating has turned up nothing. Now, as leads and hope fade, her family is mobilizing the biggest search yet.
They’re hoping to recruit about 200-300 volunteers over the next week to help with a massive search scheduled for Saturday, February 9th.
They hope to cover every possible part of the city where Mykytiuk-Evans may have vanished.
Her daughter Laura has mixed feelings about the search.
“In some ways you want answers, so it would at least bring you peace if you did have closure. In other ways, you keep having that little bit of hope that she will be found safe, and that for whatever reason she got lost.”
The family continues to lean on their community for help and support.
Friends around the country have even put up posters in the off-chance Mykytiuk-Evans left the province. Prayer meetings continue to be held at her church, and the family says it's all they can do to go on with their lives while not giving up on their matriarch.
“It’s very hard, I love my mom very much, and it’s hard for it not to become consuming. We're doing our best to do the day-to-day stuff so make sure we remain all right, but that's a very difficult process.” Linda says.
Family members hope their city-wide search next weekend will provide some answers, and hopefully some peace.
If you'd like to help, go to Missing Sandra or Groups/Missing Sandra on Facebook.
