Spain sending girl back to U.S. next week

The Hardy family of Clinton was overjoyed to learn their granddaughter, Rachel, is returning sooner than expected, and her aunt and guardian, Christina Walters does not have to make the costly trip to Spain to bring Rachel home. Rachel’s mother, Pam Hardy, left the little girl with persons unknown in Spain while she transported drugs in Central Europe. She was arrested in the Czech Republic on July 1 after the drugs she was transporting burst open in her stomach and required hospitalization.The good news of Rachel’s return was given to the family on Monday.“Spain is going to give Rachel over to the U.S. Embassy next week,” said Madonna Hardy, Rachel’s grandmother. After the U.S. government receives Rachel, a government employee will bring the four-year-old back home to Michigan.An in-home visit is still required by the Spanish government, and will happen sometime next week. The exact date of Rachel flying into Metro Detroit Airport is not officially set.“They just said next week,” Madonna said.The family has been working hard to get the money necessary for plane tickets to Malaga, Spain. Looking on-line for airfare deals, the family discovered it would require $2,000 per round-trip ticket.A spaghetti dinner held on Saturday at the Tecumseh Assembly of God Church made approximately $1,500 for travel expenses. The Hardy family is unsure of whether they will need to pay for Rachel’s ticket for her return home.Whatever money in the “Bring Rachel Home Fund” at United Bank and Trust is left over will be kept in an account for Rachel. “She might need a little bit of help down the road,” said Hardy. “There’s a little cushion there for us to fall back on.”