A Tauranga woman says the disappearance of a treasured pendant containing her late father's ashes is like losing her dad all over again.
A Tauranga woman says the disappearance of a treasured pendant containing her late father's ashes is like losing her dad all over again.
Chelsea Campbell has made a heartfelt plea asking anyone who recognised the small silver and pink trinket to please hand it in.
Campbell was at Countdown Fraser Cove on Saturday when she realised the pendant was missing.
"My daughter was wearing it. I remember because as we walked in I looked at it on her, so she was definitely wearing it."
Campbell and her daughter, 8, walked straight to the pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions before heading to the fruit and vegetable section for some mandarins and meandering back to the pharmacy inside the store.
This heart pendant containing the ashes of a Tauranga woman's late father has been lost and an appeal has been made to get it back. Photo/supplied
"That's when she noticed it missing. One of the chains was loose on the necklace," Campbell said.
She reported the incident to customer service and scoured the aisles, trays, display shelves and anything she could to try to find the pendant but it remains missing.
"I think maybe a child might have picked it up. So many people have gone to look for it but they can't find it."
Campbell's father died in March 2016 from bowel cancer. His ashes were shared between her, her sister and their mother, who each carry identical pendants.
"The feeling afterwards, it felt like I lost my dad all over again. It was just the same feeling but worse because at least before I knew where he was."
Campbell said she still had a little bit of hope but was mostly frustrated. She said she did not care who had the pendant, she just wanted it returned.
**UPDATE: Still no sign of Dad 😭 please keep sharing!!! ❤
Help! The pendant from this necklace has come off in...
"I won't have any peace until I've got Dad back. I just pray and hope that someone picks it up or someone on Facebook will realise what it is they've got."
Campbell said if she was unsuccessful in being reunited with the pendant, she at least hoped to raise awareness of bowel cancer and the importance of early detection.
"My dad ... by the time they actually found it, it was too late."
A Countdown spokesperson said: "We were really sad to hear about the loss of such a special item. Our team in store have searched high and low, but unfortunately it hasn't been located or handed in. We will continue to keep an eye out for it and happily work with the customer if she wants to put pictures up in store."
• If you recognise the pendant or know where it is, please contact Tauranga police on 07 577 4300 or drop pendant off there or at the Bay of Plenty Times office at 405 Cameron Rd.
