Donya Sherman's appearance on the syndicated game show "Family Feud" was a truly special family affair.

It represented a very public culmination of the Scottsdale woman's reunion with her mother's side of the family two years earlier. After Sherman's mother died 30 years ago, she lost touch with her aunt and young cousin. As time passed, Sherman, who had moved to Arizona from Baltimore, became less optimistic about her chances of seeing them again.

"I was living out here in Arizona, and it's kind of a traumatic thing," she says. "I didn't have a way to contact my aunt."

Eventually Sherman, an artist and former mortgage professional, was convinced to use the Internet search engine Zaba-Search. Sure enough, she was able to find someone with the same name and reached out, though wary that it might be the wrong person or that she wouldn't get a response.

"I really didn't expect to hear from her," she says. "Lo and behold, I got a phone call, and it was from my aunt," now living in Bakersfield, Calif. Sherman also became reacquainted with her cousin, Lynn (whom she hadn't seen since she was 7), and Lynn's daughters, Kia and Tamara - college students who ended up joining Sherman on "Family Feud."

The idea to go on the show came from Sherman's son, Darius, a commercial broker and lifelong fan of the game show that premiered in 1976.

"We were very much a game family," says Sherman. "I had my kids, when they were little, playing Scrabble and Monopoly. That's what we did for family fun." They also played "Family Feud" along with the families on TV. "(My son) would say, 'We should go on that show, Mommy.'"

When watching the latest version, hosted by "Seinfeld" veteran John O'Hurley, Sherman decided that she should take that suggestion her son made years ago. After she was picked to be on the show, her only problem was deciding which family members would join her: She knew her son was in for sure, but her husband was reluctant about appearing on TV and taking time off work. Her daughter was pregnant. So she decided to extend her family reunion to national TV.

Lynn "wasn't real enthusiastic at first - she's kind of quiet, shy," Sherman says. "She's warm, but this is not something that she had probably ever thought about doing." But Kia and Tamara were excited about the prospect, and all three of them agreed to go to Hollywood in November to tape the show. Like most game shows, they overbook potential contestants, so even at that stage, there was a possibility that they wouldn't make it on the air.

"There were three sets of families there - our set and two others," Sherman explains. "We were there probably, all total, maybe eight hours."

Sherman's family was picked — even though, not to give too much away, things didn't work out the way they would have liked. The episode aired first in February, again in March, and airs for a third time Friday. Sherman says she's been contacted since those original airings by people saying the last survey they answered (incorrectly) was unfair or unclear.

Despite this — and the fact that Sherman lives with a life-threatening medical condition and was extremely tired due to the taxing process of taping the show - she maintains the experience was more than worth it.

"We had fun, we didn't make any money," she says. "After 'Family Feud,' I was pretty much bedridden for several days, but it was worth it."

Sherman was told her family might have a chance to go back on a special theme show called "Lovable Losers" and is hoping this airing will motivate viewers to request their return.

On TV

“Family Feud” airs 1 p.m. weekdays on KTVK (Channel 3). Donya Sherman’s episode will air Friday.

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