Massachusetts

Woman Says Grandmother's Wedding Ring Stolen From Hand as She Died From COVID

Shari Kimball-Hill of Canton, Massachusetts, who is mourning the loss of her 84-year-old grandmother, says her wedding ring was stolen off her finger while she was in a hospital bed dying from coronavirus

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A Massachusetts woman is not only mourning the loss of her 84-year-old grandmother but is also searching exhaustively for her nana's missing wedding ring, which she says was stolen.

"It's just a precious heirloom, just thinking about it, I just see my nana," said Shari Kimball-Hill of Canton. "She loved this ring. It was a very prized possession, a family heirloom, so she refused to take it off to put it in a safety box."

Kimball-Hill says her nana, Phyllis, had COVID-19, and was immobile and unresponsive in her final days at Beth Israel Plymouth.

"Just knowing how out of it she was … that someone would take it from her," she said.

Her nana lost weight, so a nurse had taped the ring to her finger. Kimball-Hill says someone must have untaped it and removed it from her hand.

Due to COVID-19, the only people in her nana's room were hospital personnel.

When family went to view the body, the ring was gone. A nurse discovered that it was missing.

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"When she went in that morning, she made sure everything was all set for the family to come up and see my grandmother, and noticed the ring was missing and reported it to her supervisor," Kimball-Hill said.

Plymouth Police say they are investigating.

The ring is gold with three rows of diamonds and a gold bridge on the inside.

Kimball-Hill says the hospital completed its investigation, apologized, and offered her $500. She says she doesn't want to press charges, she just wants the ring back.

"My grandmother said I could have the ring when I got married, and it's one of those things, my grandmother and I were best friends, so it's just a piece of her that was always going to be with me that now I don't have," she said.

Kimball-Hill has contacted jewelers and pawn shops in the area.

"We are saddened by the passing of any patient we have cared for and offer our deepest condolences," Beth Israel Plymouth said in a statement to NBC10 Boston. "While federal and state privacy requirements prevent us from commenting on an individual patient's experience, we are deeply committed to providing the highest quality care and treating our patients with dignity and respect. When a patient or family member raises a concern about a missing belonging, we take it very seriously and conduct a thorough investigation, including speaking with staff members and performing a rigorous physical search of the areas. In the event law enforcement is involved, we cooperate fully with any external investigation."

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