Family of missing Toledo woman asking for change in guardianship system

TOLEDO, Ohio — Brittany Collins, a 43-year-old woman from Toledo who had been missing since October, was found alive and is now receiving medical care.

The discovery came just days after Toledo police issued a public plea for help locating her. Brittany, who has schizophrenia, was found in extremely poor health, suffering from severe frostbite and possible gangrene in both feet, according to family.

Her twin sister, Brandie Collins, is relieved but said the system failed her sister.

Brittany had been under the care of a guardian appointed by the Lucas County Guardianship Services Board for more than two years. Brandie said that while communication with the guardian started off strong, it stopped completely in recent months.

“They don’t return my phone calls, there’s been no contact, there’s been nothing,” she claimed.

Toledo police posted a missing person alert for Brittany on Facebook last Friday. However, Brandie said her sister had already been missing for months at that point.

She claimed a local recovery center sent her to another facility.

“They put her in a cab and sent her to the Zepf Center, but we don’t know why,” she explained. “The cab got to the Zepf Center, Brittany got out and never went in.”

This has left Brandie questioning the oversight provided by her sister’s guardian.

“I think that the guardianship board should’ve done better,” she said. “They failed. The system failed. It all failed.”

The interim director of the Lucas County Guardianship Services Board declined to comment on the specific case, but explained that the board serves as a last-resort guardian for adults with severe mental illness, developmental disabilities or substance use disorders.

“Everybody says mental health matters,” Brandie said. “But I’ve learned in the last two-and-a-half years, who does it really matter to? It doesn’t. Things need to change.”

With Brittany now recovering in a hospital emergency room, Brandie said the priority is making sure her sister gets the support she needs.