Although when there are challenges within the family, it is very common for there to be blame, guilt and make wrong.  However, in my experience, many root causes of the challenges come from either past lives or ancestral issues.  When there is a focus on healing the root causes, intending the highest good outcome, a willingness to transcend the patterns, there is much more of a likelihood for estranged family members to spontaneously get in touch and/or be willing to start again.  And at the very least, if by healing, there is much less pain, then it is much easier to carry on in life again.