JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sharon Blanks, 68, is fighting for her life, diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [COPD] and Atrial Fibrillation [AFIB].
"I am not supposed to get upset," she said. "This has really devastated me."
Blanks said the issue that has her in this state of anxiety began a few weeks ago during her stay at Orange Park Medical Center.
She said she was a patient in room 416 when a staffer discovered bed bugs.
"She came back and said, 'That was a bed bug, you have to move,'" Blanks said. "They had to fumigate the room."
They moved her and another patient. Blanks her purse and other personal belongings were placed in a blue bag during the process and that's the last time she saw them.
"It disappeared, sir," she said. "It was in a big blue bag. They tied it up just like
they did the lady next to me."
She left the hospital and went to rehab before returning home and her purse was still missing.
They had to change the locks on the front door and hire a locksmith to make a new key for her Mazda CX.
Her keys were last known to be in the missing purse.
"You know how much this key is costing me?" Blanks asked. "Three-hundred-and-thirty dollars."
She said it is not just her keys but everything that is personal and dear to her.
"I had my deceased husband's license, my license," said Blanks. "It has got to be somewhere. It has turned my life upside-down."
Adding to her frustration, Blanks said she has been asking for her purse and has yet to get an answer from the hospital.
"I just want my stuff back and my debit card, my check book, my license and it is really killing me," said Blanks.
On Your Side reached out to Orange Park Medical Center to find out the status of their investigation into her missing purse.
A spokesperson citing HIPPA or privacy laws said she was prohibited from talking about the specifics.
The hospital provided a statement instead:
“We carefully investigate when a patient reports a missing or lost item. We understand how important these belongings are and make it a priority to keep the patient updated during our investigation process.”
The spokesperson said they have not given up on this and is in contact with the family.
The standard policy at many hospitals is patients and visitors are responsible for all personal belongings.
The spokesperson at Orange Park Medical Center said there is a similar policy for visitors but for patients, it would depend on their condition.
We will continue to follow this story.