Widow Elaine makes emotional plea for return of husbands Christmas gift

By Olga Aughey

A devastated mother-of-two, Elaine Bowens, is offering up a reward for the safe return of a bracelet given to her by her late husband.

Elaine from Cloonfad in County Roscommon was shopping in Athlone last Tuesday when she lost the precious item of jewellery her husband Patrick, better known as Pa, gave to her one Christmas when they first started dating.

Patrick died last October following a freak accident in which he suffered a head injury while erecting lights to facilitate mourners ahead of his own mother’s funeral.

“I was shopping in Athlone last Tuesday, I was in Golden Island and the new shopping centre, and in Dunnes Stores as well. I don’t think I ever went into so many shops in one day,” begins Elaine.

“My husband had bought it for me for Christmas, I think it was when we had just started going out.

“I can’t sleep or anything at night since it went missing. I feel like such an eejit for losing it because I feel it’s the last thing he’ll ever give me,” Elaine continues.

Recalling the untimely death of her husband less than six months ago, Elaine, mother to Jason (5) and Adam (2), tells of how she was recovering from an aggressive form of brain cancer when Patrick was suddenly taken from her and their two sons.

“I was ill for such a long time and then in August 2014 I had a brain tumour removed. This was followed by recovery time and by August 2015 I had finished my treatment. We had just started getting our lives back together when he died.

“I still feel like I’m talking about someone else when I’m telling what happened...It was at his mother’s funeral and he was putting up lights when one fell on him. He was rushed to Beaumont Hospital but there was nothing they could do. Patrick had carried an organ donor card in his wallet for years. So he was an organ donor as well. Then on Wednesday October 21 he passed away.”

Elaine is hoping that this article will jog someone’s memory and prompt them to come forward to the bracelet.

“I tried on clothes in H&M, Dunnes and The Great Outdoors. After me being sick, his mother dying, him going so suddenly, and now this... I just feel like this is another blow.

“It can only be worth a couple of hundred euro, but it’s not about the cost to me. That bracelet means everything to me. I’d give money to get it back. I hope that this will prompt someone to come forward.”

• If anyone has come across the Elaine’s bracelet, please contact the Westmeath Independent on (0) 90 643 4300.