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GARY, Ind. (AP) — Dianne Craft initially doubted whether she would ever identify a homeless amputee with dementia she helped get off the streets just before Christmas.
She wasn't sure how old Phillip Squall was, how he lost his left foot or how he'd gotten from southeastern Georgia to Ford Heights between 2009 and July 2014.
Squall couldn't tell her, either.
Because of his dementia, he can't remember his family or much else about his life, and he often can't relate to his surroundings.
But Craft, who recently was granted guardianship of Squall, was determined.
When Squall was admitted to St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago in December, Craft didn't let the nursing staff throw away his feces-covered clothing.
"I told my staff how important it was for us to go through all the pockets," said Craft, the founder of the Hammond-based social services agency We Care From The Heart.
Craft kept Squall's clothes in the back of her pickup truck for several weeks, until a friend allowed her to lay it all out to dry on a table inside an unoccupied East Chicago home being prepared for rental, she said.
As she peeled apart Squall's feces-covered clothing, a member of her staff began vomiting because of the smell.
"A lot of people say they don't understand how I went through all that," she said. "I just had my gloves on."
Craft had to put the clothing down several times to let it dry more, returning to the unoccupied house days later.
I had a detective working on it. But I had to really go through the feces to find out who he was.
–Dianne Craft
Then she found what she was looking for: discharge papers from Roseland Community Hospital in Chicago and a document from a nursing home in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood.
"I had to dissect the clothing," Craft told The (Munster) Times.
Several people had been helping Craft try to identify Squall, she said.
"I had a detective working on it," she said. "But I had to really go through the feces to find out who he was."
Squall had his left foot amputated at Roseland Community Hospital in 2010 because of frostbite, Craft said. He was placed in the Chicago nursing home after that surgery and lived there until June 2014.
A man walked in last summer and told staff at the nursing home he was Squall's cousin, Craft said, but Squall's family said the man was not a relative.
The man told the staff at nursing home Squall wouldn't be returning. He likely was someone who preys on the elderly and disabled, Squall's caretakers said.
Squall had not received Social Security benefits since 2005 and has two Social Security numbers, Craft said.
When the man discovered defrauding Squall wouldn't be easy, he probably dumped the 74-year-old off somewhere, Craft said.
Squall's mother is 92 years old and lives in Milwaukee, Craft said. His sister, who's in her 70s, lives in Florida.
Squall's family said he was born in Mississippi in 1940 and was a "working man" until his late 30s, when he began to wander. After that, they saw him every five years or so on the streets.
Squall's family attributed his wandering to schizophrenia, Craft said. He's also been diagnosed with dementia, she said.
Squall talked to his mother and sister on the phone, but didn't appear to recognize their voices, Craft said.
Because his family isn't in a position to help Squall, he'll likely remain in the region until he's willing to stay.
Craft and Jones are committed to helping him, they said.
"I'm going to help Phillip until he closes his eyes," Craft said.
Matt Kolanowski first spotted Squall along U.S. 30 in Ford Heights in July, sitting with a shopping cart and wheelchair full of belongings.
The two forged a friendship, and Kolanowski began stopping on his way to work at the Ford Motor. Co.'s Chicago Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights to bring clothes, food and hot coffee to Squall.
The Hammond man knew he had to get Squall off the streets before winter. He called countless agencies, but nothing panned out until he met Craft.
"He would not have made it through this spell (of cold weather)," Kolanowski said recently as he sat around a table with Craft and Jones.
Craft helped get Squall admitted to St. Catherine and found a place for him at the Mary Lane Center in Gary's Glen Park section. Squall is settling in well, said Jamanil Jones, co-owner of the center.
After Squall's arrival at the Mary Lane Center, his caretakers faced a new set of hurdles.
St. Catherine discharged him with three days' worth of medicine, one of which cost $700 a month. He's also diabetic, so he needed supplies to test his blood sugar.
Time was of the essence.
Craft found a doctor to treat Squall for free, and the doctor prescribed a different medication that was much cheaper, she said.
Squall has a Pacemaker that needs to be tested to ensure it's working properly. He also needs an MRI so doctors can determine the extent of his dementia.
Still, Squall is a "new man," his caretakers said.
When he arrived at the Mary Lane Center, he didn't want his hair cut or beard trimmed, Jones said.
Squall also always wanted a hood or towel to cover his neck, perhaps in anticipation of a cold wind, Craft said.
Squall has since allowed the staff to cut his hair and beard and wears a Ford hat and jacket given to him by Kolanowski every day.
"When you got a strong team behind you, it don't take that long to make a difference," Jones said.
I think he realized that someone really cares about him. His outlook is different.
–Jamanil Jones
Squall attends the center's adult day program regularly and hasn't talked to anyone about leaving, he said.
"I think he realized that someone really cares about him," Jones said. "His outlook is different."
Craft is still working on obtaining documentation to re-establish Squall's government benefits, she said. Once she does that, she'll begin looking for a long-term care facility.
Jones, who met Kolanowski for the first time last Monday, said Kolanowski made a difference in Squall's life.
People with dementia often can't remember their own family, Jones said. It's clear Kolanowski made an impression on Squall.
"If he remembers your first name, you stuck in his mind," he said.
Kolanowski said he, too, plans to help Squall and all of the center's elderly residents. He started by donating a pair of pants to Jones for a resident he met while visiting Squall at Christmastime.
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Information from: The Times, http://www.thetimesonline.com
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