Man's wedding ring disappears at hospital

06:02 PM PDT on Wednesday, August 3, 2005

KING5.com

SEATTLE -- The widow of a Redmond, Wash., man who died of cancer Wednesday is hoping to recover his wedding ring, which disappeared from a hospital last month.

Shirley Petryk, said her husband, Ray Petryk, spent two nights at Overlake Hospital, in Bellevue, Wash., on July 19. She noticed his wedding ring was missing during a visit. When she asked about it, none of the staff knew where it was. Although the ring was listed on Petryk’s check-in sheet, it wasn't removed for safekeeping.

“To anyone else, it’s just a plain band but it has five little diamonds in it, it’s not all that valuable but it’s certainly valuable to him, and to me,” Shirley Petryk said Tuesday, when her husband was already in a coma.

She said he had never removed the ring in the 52 years they were married.

“We were really poor, he was in college and I remember picking it out and getting something we could afford,” she said.

KING

The couple had identical rings - white gold with five small diamonds.

Shirley Petryk said thought of taking the ring off her husband’s finger when he was taken to the hospital, but found it emotionally too difficult.

Although most big hospitals do have safes for valuables, patients’ family members are often too distressed to think about storing or removing items.

Spokesperson for Overlake Hospital, Caitlyn Hillary expressed regret for the loss, but said: "Upon admission, Mr. Petryk signed a form and listed his wedding ring, but opted not to have it locked up."

However, the Petryk family said he was already weak and semi-comatose and may not have been competent to make that decision.

Although Shirley Petryk doesn’t want to accuse anyone of theft, she doubts the ring could have fallen off.

“I can’t blame the hospital, if it’s one person that’s taken it,” she said.

Hillary said the staff did a thorough search for the missing ring and would have another look.

KING

The Petryks were married 52 years ago.

Shirley Petryk said she hopes hospitals will implement a policy to advise patients to come in without any jewelry or valuables, or to put the items immediately into a safe.

At Overlake Hospital, Hillary said: "We encourage patients to leave their valuables at home or have them locked up in the hospital safe."

This is not the first time a ring has vanished from Overlake Hospital. Bellevue police said an elderly woman's diamond ring was taken off her finger last year and a hospital employee was terminated.