Lee County family seeks answers for missing wedding ring at hospital

When a loved one passes away, memories and belongings like a wedding ring become cherished reminders of their life.

Julia Khanbalinov, a grandchild, shared, “Their marriage gave us kind of like hope that marriages can last long, and family is important.”

Julia’s grandparents were married for over 61 years, making the loss even more painful.

When a patient at Gulf Coast Medical Center took his last breaths, he had his wedding ring on.

“The wedding ring was this tiny, little gold band,” said Khanbalinov.

She recalled a photo taken in the hospital at 6:40 p.m., one of the last moments with her grandfather.

“We decided that we were gonna leave for a few hours and come back, and we said goodbye. That was horrible, and I actually have a lot of regret. Now I wish I never left,” said Khanbalinov.

Julia and her brother Grant wanted to keep the wedding band as a memory of their grandfather.

“I wanted Grant to have his wedding band. And now, I don’t know if we’re ever getting that chance,” Khanbalinov said.

The hospital provided a piece of paper stating the patient had no belongings, signed and given to the funeral home.

“I said to the funeral director, please send me a picture of his hands. The indent of the ring is still on the finger. That’s how tight it was,” said Khanbalinov.

“Luckily, I have the proof. I have a photograph of his hand in your hospital,” she added.

Despite arriving fully clothed, everything, including the ring, was missing.

With the ring gone, Grant turned to TikTok to raise awareness.

“If anyone is going to see this, it’s going to be the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. And they did see it,” Khanbalinov said. “Within five minutes, a detective called me.”

A report printed Wednesday detailed the situation, but the family stated the funeral home also did not see the ring.

“I don’t want to think about ‘where’s his wedding band?’ I don’t want to think about that somebody did this to his body. To me, it’s desecration. This is like desecrating his memory, the memory of our grandparents, marriage, all of those things,” said Khanbalinov.

As of Wednesday, the ring remains missing.

Lee Health responded, saying, “They’re aware of the investigation. They have been communicating with the family and they have been cooperating with law enforcement.”