A family is asking everyone to be on the lookout for a very special pair of pants that were recently donated, but belonged to a family member whose health is rapidly declining.
Jennifer O’Donnell explained that the pair of pants belong to her daughter, Danica, but their story starts several years in the past.
“I was quite young when I had Danica, and I subsequently placed her for adoption,” O’Donnell explained “When she turned 18, she and I both found each other. That would have been 12 years ago, and we’ve been very active in each other’s lives.”
O’Donnell said that Danica is a full member of their family, adding that she gets along extremely well with her sister Kyra.
“Danica has been ill for about a year now,” she said. “She came out to see us about a month ago for a number of days, and it was very apparent that she was not doing very well.”
Upon Danica’s return to Ontario, O’Donnell said she was admitted into a hospital and her health has rapidly declined.
“We were told we have a few months at most to physically love her,” she said.
At the time of her interview with The Eagle, O’Donnell said she visited her daughter in Ontario a few weeks back. During that time, she went to her apartment to decorate her hospital room and hold on to her valuables while she was still receiving care.
“One of those items was this sweater, which was Danica’s favourite sweater,” O’Donnell said. “As soon as Kyra saw it, she began panicking because about a month ago, she donated [the pants] to the Funky Little Thrift Store. Given the difficult news of losing her sister, she is desperate to be reunited with the pants that go with the sweater.
“Just so she can hold on to as much as she can of her sister.”
The pants themselves match a unique design to the sweater, but their current whereabouts can be anywhere from Calgary to surrounding communities.
The Funky Little Thrift Store informed O’Donnell that there’s a high chance that the pants have already been scooped up. She adds that if it were part of their overstock, it would go anywhere from Airdrie, Olds, to even the Salvation Army.
“We’ve even joked that how would it be if someone is out grocery shopping and they see someone wearing the pants,” she said. “Kyra is even offering a reward, if necessary, for the return of the pants. It’s $100.”
With the search in full swing, support from Cochrane, Calgary, and surrounding communities has been wonderful. From a member in Calgary offering the exact set of clothing to different leads on their whereabouts, she said that they have all been lovely gestures by the community.
“There is a woman who did reach out to me, saying that she thinks she purchased a pair at a thrift store recently, but has yet to send me a picture of it to follow up,” she said. “But other than that, just the sheer number if shares on different groups, pages, and personal profiles are just incredible.”
She adds that the search has left a very profound impression on her daughter, regardless of whether or not the pants are ultimately found.
“Kyra actually said to me that even if the pants aren’t found, she’s filled with so much love with how far this has reached,” she said. “It’s beyond comprehension. And for those that it has reached, they now know her sister Danica and they hold a tiny special place in their hearts as well, which means the world to her.”
She thanks everyone who spent the time to spread their story and who have taken the time to look for the special pair of pants.
“I guess my message for everyone is don’t take time for granted, time isn’t guaranteed, and make time for those you love and hug your children a little tighter each time you do,” O’Donnell said. “My fairy tale adoption story really is just that, only the ending is changing.”
O’Donnell was asked by Danica’s adoptive parents to be part of the decision to cease care or sustain the inevitable. In the event they stop her treatment, doctors believe that she would have less than a week to live.
Although Danica’s 30th birthday is on January 25, O’Donnell said that there is a chance she might not be able to see it. Following O’Donnell’s interview both her and Kyra planned to fly out to Ontario after hearing the devastating news.
“We’re just really hoping to find them, but we’re at peace if we don’t simply because of how special this community involvement has been,” O’Donnell said.
If the pants are located, O’Donell said that they can either be dropped off at the offices of The Eagle or to contact her via Facebook
