When I wrote to Woman's Day and Good Housekeeping, I rearranged the letter a bit and added some info, to focus a bit more on the angle of reuniting Benjaman with his loved ones (as opposed to just finding out his identity). My thinking was that, it's possible Benjaman has a wife, girlfriend, children, or even an elderly mother who read these magazines. I'll repost here in case anyone wants to use this:
To Whom It May Concern:
I have recently become aware of a man down in Georgia who has amnesia. He was discovered unconscious behind a Burger King in Richmond Hill, Georgia, in 2004, and so far has been unable to find out his true identity. He is now using the name of Benjaman Kyle. He is unable to obtain a social security number, and therefore, he is unable to obtain a job. He has no home of his own, so he has been staying with friends he made while he was in a hospital.
Several internet sleuthers, along with one of his nurses from the hospital, have been trying to help him discover his identity. We believe that he needs national exposure by well known media such as your magazine in order for someone to recognize him. He is very intelligent and well-spoken, and he seems to come from a well-educated background. We believe he has a family out there who may believe he is deceased.
This man's story has really tugged at my heart, especially now that the holidays are upon us. For at least three years, he has spent his holidays alone, with only friends he met in the hospital to keep him company, not knowing who is out there missing him. This Christmas may be another one of many that his family has spent missing his presence, agonizing over where their loved one is.
I'd like to ask you to take a look at the following links that give a summary of this man and his situation.
Here is the first article:
http://savannahnow.com/node/364434
Here is the second article, which is accompanied by a video:
http://www.wsav.com/midatlantic/sav/news.apx.-content-articles-SAV-2007-10-15-0025.html
Here is his listing on the Doe Network:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1007umga.html
Amnesia is a very rare condition, but there have been other cases in which amnesia has kept someone separated from their loved ones. In particular, the case of Jeffrey Ingram, a Canadian who went missing from Seattle and ended up in Denver with no memory, garnered national attention. Jeffrey achieved national exposure by appearing on television and was recognized by a friend. He was reunited with his fiancee, Penny, and they were later married. (Interestingly, Penny, the first name of his fiancee, was the only thing he remembered about his life while he had amnesia. There seem to be some things the heart doesn't forget.)
You can read more about Jeffrey Ingram at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15373503/
and
http://www.rd.com/content/a-man-with-amnesia-reunited-with-his-wife/
Jeffrey's is a story that captivated many people, including myself. I believe the public would be interested in Benjaman's story as well. He has been featured on two MySpace pages:
http://www.myspace.com/missinginplainsight
http://www.myspace.com/seriouslysearching
and several news affiliates have picked up the interview from Savannah.
Your consideration of this story would be much appreciated!
Best regards,