New Jersey Man Beats 'Billion-To-One' Odds, Reunites Woman With Her Lost Pendant
UNION, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – A miraculous discovery in New Jersey leads to an inspiring story of friendship.
A woman lost her most prized possession, a priceless pendant containing memories of her late son. Just when she thought it was lost forever, a stranger came to the rescue.
It's the unique conversation starter Cindy Gelormini was afraid she'd never see again.
"I can always wear it near my heart so this is a very special thing," she said.
The necklace contains the ashes of her son, Robbie. The 26-year-old had autism and suffered severe seizures. He passed away in his sleep last year.
When she lost her treasured pendant while shopping in Union, New Jersey, her heart was broken all over again.
"When I got changed I realized 'oh my god my necklace is gone.' I thought it was gone forever just like my son," Gelormini said.
She posted pictures of the priceless necklace along with the story of how she lost it on every community Facebook page she could think of. It got thousands of shares.
Cindy called both stores with no luck. She went back to the parking lots to retrace her steps. She even ran into a mother and daughter who were also searching for the necklace. It wasn't until she got home later that day that she'd get the email that turned everything around.
"He said I think I found your necklace… At first I thought he was kidding."
But nobody was more stunned than Vincent Scrudato.
"I was shocked, shocked… Because the odds are a billion-to-one," Scrudato told CBS2's Jessica Layton.
"It was right about over here," the good Samaritan explained. He knew to look out for the necklace while running errands thanks to a friend who told him about the Facebook post.
"She said 'oh you're good at finding stuff' so she sent me the picture," he said.
Scrudato saw the silver chain standing out against a white-painted parking line. There were small, broken pieces of green and blue blown glass, but the ashes remained in place.
"Made sure I had it all… I couldn't wait to tell her because knew what it mean to her."
"People have said 'oh he's an angel.' Robbie is my angel, but he sent the saint to me," the grateful mother said.
A friend has offered to mend the broken pieces for Gelormini. In the meantime, she says her and Vincent are bonded for life, together, keeping her son's memory alive.
