Blanket reconnects best friends after 45 years

Friday, May 22, 2015
Blanket reconnects best friends after 45 years
A volunteer sending a care package to a cancer patient halfway across the country had no idea where it would end up

COLDSPRING, TX (KTRK) -- Eyewitness News recently brought you a story of Angels in Action, a group of volunteers in the tiny town of Coldspring, Texas that helps lift the spirits of cancer patients all across the country.

Group of volunteers help those fighting cancer

The organization sends care packages with blankets and notes of encouragements to patients undergoing treatment.

One morning, Angels in Action volunteer Linda Currie received a phone call from a recipient of a blanket over 1,400 miles away.

"I mailed the blanket on Thursday, and on Saturday morning the phone rang," Linda said.

As the volunteer and the recipient shared stories, a connection emerged that neither expected.

"She said, 'Could this be Linda?' And I've never been so shocked in my life," Linda said.

Linda and recipient Paula Itnyre discovered they had been best friends 45 years ago, before Paula moved halfway across the country. Paula even gave Linda a baby shower when the two were in college.

"We were both so excited, yelling on the phone, saying 'Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!'" Paula said.

The two have since been emailing, talking on the phone, and making up for nearly five decades of lost time.

"It looks like I'm going to be taking a trip to Texas to visit with her," Paula said.

Now, Paula is cancer free and is able to share her story of survival with others using the blanket from an old friend, who is now her angel across the country.

To volunteer or donate to "Angels in Action" go to the organization's website.