Family offers reward for heirloom ring that went missing during stay at Massachusetts hospital
A homemade billboard has popped up across from a Natick, Massachusetts, hospital. The family who built it is offering a $3,000 reward for any information that leads to the discovery of a family heirloom ring that they believe was lost or potentially stolen during a stay at the hospital.
"It was my grandmother's ring. She was a wonderful lady. She lived to 107 and my dad got it when she passed away and gave it to my sister," said Victoria Tremblay.
Her sister Anna was admitted to Leonard Morse Hospital in early August. That night, she noticed the ring was gone.
"They really didn't believe her. There was no report made, there were no notes made, there was nothing that they acknowledged," said Tremblay.
For three months, the family says they have been fighting the hospital for answers.
"They were able to view the surveillance, unfortunately, we weren't because of HIPAA. But they did tell us that there was a point in time where they saw the ring on my sister's hand, and there was a point in time where they didn't," explained Tremblay.
They filed a report with Natick police, and say they also filed a report with the hospital.
"We come to find out two months later [the hospital report] wasn't [filed], and so all of that period of time went to waste," said Tremblay, adding that now they have been told the surveillance video doesn't exist anymore because no report was filed. "That was part of the runaround, giving themselves that time to run out the clock. They said they only had it for 30 days."
In a statement, the hospital said:
"Each year, we care for thousands of patients, including those arriving in emergency situations or receiving behavioral health services who require urgent medical care where belongings may not be able to be immediately inventoried. We have processes in place to secure patients' items whenever possible. If something is reported missing, we investigate thoroughly and work directly with the patient or their authorized representative to address the matter."
Tremblay is hoping that someone comes forward.
"We are not looking for anyone to get in trouble. People make bad decisions, things happen, or maybe it was an accident," said Tremblay.
Natick police say at this time they cannot determine if the ring was lost, stolen, or given away, but the Tremblays hope their reward will lead to information.
"It's definitely very important that we get it back. When it went missing, it brought my 80-year-old father to tears, and that just broke my heart," said Tremblay.
