We Lost Our Daughter. Help Us Stay in Our Grandson's Life.

We don't want to lose our grandson, too.

On September 14, 2025, we lost our beloved daughter, Chanel Ward Biddle, to breast cancer. She was only 37 years old.

Chanel left behind a little boy who was just 17 months old when his mama died. Today, he is two and a half years old, and we are asking for help so that we can preserve our relationship with our grandson and remain part of his life.

We are Tony and Sandy Ward, Chanel's parents and her son’s maternal grandparents.

Before losing Chanel, our grandson was a constant part of our lives, and we were a constant part of his. Our relationship wasn't limited to birthdays and holidays. We were there for the ordinary moments of everyday family life—the lunches and dinners, walks, visits at home, and time spent helping Chanel and her husband fix up the house where they were raising their son. All of those countless moments, big and small, made us a family.

Losing our daughter created an emptiness in our lives that can never be filled. As we struggled with that loss, our once-close relationship with our grandson became increasingly difficult to maintain. Our time with him grew less frequent until, eventually, we lost contact altogether. We have not seen our grandson since March 2026.

Our grandson is his own precious little person, but he is also part of Chanel's story and the family that loved her for all 37 years of her life.

We want to be there as he grows up to support his development and to make sure he knows all about his mama. We want him to hear stories about her. We want him to know what she was like as a little girl, the people and traditions that shaped her, and the experiences and memories that helped make her the magnificent woman she became.

Most of all, we want him to know that his maternal grandparents love him and never stopped trying to remain part of his life.

Why We Need Help

Our grandson was born in Philadelphia and remained there for several months with his father after Chanel's death. Despite our repeated efforts to stay in his life, maintaining regular contact became increasingly difficult.

In March 2026, our grandson was moved to New York City without our knowledge. After learning of the move, we filed with the Philadelphia family court, but jurisdiction was ultimately transferred to New York. We now find ourselves navigating an unfamiliar family-court system as we continue seeking visitation. We are in our 70s, but we are willing to travel any time, any day, anywhere to see him.

For months, we tried to handle matters ourselves. We tried to be patient. We hoped that we could resolve the situation without a prolonged legal proceeding, but despite our repeated efforts to reach a resolution, those efforts have not led to meaningful progress.

We have already exhausted what we could afford on legal representation during the preliminary hearing in Philadelphia. Our resources are limited, and the legal process ahead is expensive. We must retain an experienced New York family-law attorney to properly present our request to a New York court.

We cannot afford to do this alone. We humbly ask for your help in preserving the loving relationship we have with our grandson.

Our $40,000 Goal

We are hoping to raise $40,000 to secure experienced New York family-law representation and help cover the legal expenses associated with pursuing visitation with our grandson. The attorneys we consulted charge an average of $550 per hour. These costs add up quickly—not only for court appearances, but also for preparing for hearings, reviewing countless emails, conducting legal research, filing court documents, interviewing witnesses, and making phone calls. There will also be travel expenses to New York City for attorney meetings and court dates.

What is at stake is the possibility of our grandson growing up without knowing his maternal grandparents or maintaining a connection with the family of the mother he lost so young.

We are not asking anyone to choose sides in a family dispute. This is not a path we want to take—it is a path we have to take. We are asking for the financial ability to have our request heard through the proper legal process.

Nothing can bring Chanel back, but we can still do everything within our power to preserve the loving connection between her son and the family who loved her from the very beginning of her life.

Someday, when our grandson is old enough to understand all of this, we want him to know one thing with certainty:

His grandparents never stopped trying to be part of his life.

Every Contribution Matters

Any contribution—no matter the amount—will help us obtain the New York legal representation we need. No donation is too small. We are deeply grateful for your kindness, compassion, and any contribution you are able to make.

If you aren't able to contribute financially, please share our story with your family and friends. One share may reach someone who understands what it means to lose someone you love while striving to preserve the family connections they left behind.

We never imagined we would lose our daughter at 37.

We never imagined that a year later, while still grieving her, we would be raising money for the opportunity to remain part of her son's life.

But we are not ready to give up.

With your help, we hope to preserve the loving connection between her son and the family who loved her throughout her life.

Thank you for reading our story, sharing it, supporting us, and standing with our family.

With love and gratitude,

Tony & Sandy Ward