Meghan Markle has reached out to her father, Thomas Markle, following his emergency leg amputation. PEOPLE has confirmed that the Duchess of Sussex sent an email to her father late Friday morning, Pacific time, after learning he had undergone the operation. The effort was kept private at first in order to avoid turning a sensitive family matter into a public exchange. A spokesperson for Meghan confirmed that she contacted him the same day she learned about his health crisis. The pair have been estranged since 2018, when Thomas admitted to staging paparazzi photos in the lead-up to her wedding.

In spite of this outreach, The Mail on Sunday published a new report on December 6 claiming Thomas was “confused” by the public statement and insisting he had not heard from Meghan. PEOPLE understands that Meghan’s email did not bounce back and produced no delivery error. Her team has been attempting to verify current contact details for her father in order to ensure the message actually reached him.

Complications behind the scenes

Efforts to reach Thomas have been made more challenging because he does not currently have possession of his phone. According to the journalist who has been in contact with him, Meghan does not have an active number for him. Even if she did, direct contact would be difficult without access to the device. Leaving a voicemail has been considered inappropriate, given Prince Harry’s past experience as a victim of phone hacking.

PEOPLE has also learned that Meghan personally called several hospitals in an attempt to locate her father. She has so far been unable to confirm where he is receiving treatment. Identifying the correct hospital would allow her to send a written note by hand delivery, since Thomas has no access to his phone. Her team has also reached out to individuals close to Thomas in order to determine the best and most reliable way to contact him while he recovers in intensive care in the Philippines.

A hospital source, quoted by The Mail on Sunday, said they had no record of receiving any contact from Meghan or her representatives. The source added that they would have been aware of such an attempt had it occurred. The discrepancy between reported efforts and reported responses has added a layer of confusion to an already delicate situation.

Thomas speaks about estrangement