‘I need him back:’ Iowa family pleads for help after son’s ashes go missing on Florida vacation

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Iowa household again from vacationing in Central Florida has searched in every single place to no avail for “Bruce,” a stuffed elephant that belonged to their late son Gabryel and now comprises a bag of his ashes.

Described in a Fb put up, Bruce was given to Gabryel whereas he was within the NICU, current there ahead for every of his many surgical procedures and hospitalizations. The holiday — organized in Gabryel’s reminiscence, as he died earlier than he may go to Disney — set out with the stuffed animal in firm, however Bruce didn’t return.

“The journey was a bit hectic with 3 completely different cities and accommodations and grief mind kicked in in some unspecified time in the future with all the feelings, making me actually wrestle with easy reminiscence duties,” Liz Atkinson, Gabryel’s mom, stated within the put up. “…As a result of automobiles get messy on journeys, I stored pondering perhaps he was simply blended in someplace (very in contrast to me, I do know the place all the things is 100% of the time even on journeys, thanks grief) however as soon as we bought house Could 1 I searched EVERYWHERE. Each bag. He’s gone.”

Now, Atkinson is pleading with Central Florida for assist finding Bruce, providing particulars of the place her household visited in the course of the April journey in hopes extra floor could be coated.

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In line with Atkinson, her household stayed at a seaside resort in Cocoa Seashore from April 22-24.

The household introduced Bruce boat parasailing with Cocoa Seashore Parasail at 9 a.m., April 24, however Atkinson said she couldn’t recall whether or not Bruce was introduced again into their car.

The household drove to Disney Springs on April 24, staying for a number of hours earlier than checking in on the Palazzo Lakeside Lodge in Kissimmee the place they stayed till April 25.

“I don’t recall ever carrying him from the car to our resort room (normally he would’ve been packed contained in the suitcase however due to parasailing he wasn’t). It was storming so we break up up bringing issues in into many journeys,” Atkinson stated.

On April 25, the household drove to Disney’s Artwork of Animation Resort, staying there till April 30. There, too, Bruce was nowhere to be discovered.

Atkinson inspired anybody who might discover Bruce to contact her instantly. Her Fb put up had been shared over 3,800 instances ultimately test.

“If you happen to’ve discovered Bruce or noticed him round any of those areas, please PM me!!! I would like him again,” Atkinson stated. “I actually assume he’s most likely someplace within the car parking zone close to cocoa seashore parasailing, the palazzo, or the orange parking ramp of Disney springs perhaps from falling out of the automobile.”

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