Feel-good stories may be hard to find nowadays, but luckily for Barrie resident Kelly McCreight, hers ended up being a special delivery.
The east-end resident is breathing a sigh of relief — and a renewed faith in humanity — after her wallet was returned. She had feared it had been lost for good.
“You just don’t get lost wallets back, especially with everything still inside them,” McCreight told BarrieToday.
On Dec. 30, McCreight went for a walk to her local convenience store and packed a bag before heading out.
When she got there and reached into her bag, her wallet was gone.
“I had headed to the store and had my wallet in my knapsack. When I got there, I couldn’t find my wallet and was a little panicked,” McCreight said. “The staff at the Circle K were so helpful and were helping me check around, but nothing.”
As she headed home, McCreight kicked the snow as she walked, hoping to find the wallet if it had fallen while en route.
“I retraced my steps exactly and looked so hard everywhere. I was devastated because the wallet had more than personal info and credit cards,” said McCreight.
McCreight kept a memento from her late father in the wallet and was heartbroken to think she wouldn’t see it again.
“I didn’t have any cash, as I stopped carrying too much due to COVID-19. I know that cards can be replaced, but the memento from my dad was irreplaceable,” she said.
To make matters worse, McCreight fell ill (not COVID-related) and had to stay home and rest for a few weeks.
“I was in some pain and didn’t leave the house. I would have much rather been searching for the wallet,” she said. “The police were great; they went to Circle K and checked the footage for me. I was so sad about the whole thing.”
The good-news story she had been waiting for came weeks later when McCreight was feeling better and went to her mailbox.
“There was a package in my mailbox and opened it up and I couldn't believe it when I pulled out my wallet,” McCreight said. “Everything was still in it, including the memento from my dad. I was overjoyed. It was an amazing feeling.”
When she lost the wallet, McCreight posted on two Facebook groups looking for help. When the wallet was found, she posted again to not only let people know it had been recovered, but in hopes of finding the Good Samaritan who did it.
“I just want to meet them and thank them so much. How do you even repay someone for that? I thought I had lost the keepsake of my dad forever,” said McCreight. “I know there are other stories out there that are more important, but this story is so important because we need to know there are still good, honest people out there.”
