Last year, the engagement ring was mysteriously lost at the hospital. Yet, she continues to hold dear the person who bestowed it upon her.
Following her surgery, Faye Bauman, now at a rehab center, discovered her possessions were missing, including the diamond engagement ring from her lover.
She vividly recalls the sentimental moment he proposed with that ring. His eyes sparkled with excitement and innocence. They first met at a party, and by the end of the night, they were holding hands under the table. He saved up to buy her the ring, a half-carat diamond encased in white gold. One day, he surprised her at her office, dropping to one knee in his Navy uniform. The sight of him was breathtaking. She accepted the ring, placing it on her finger and twirling it to catch the light.
After half a century, in a different band of gold, that diamond vanished from the hospital. Faye yearned to understand why.
For over a year, she and her daughter pursued answers from hospital officials. They even filed a police report, classifying the stolen jewelry as a grand theft. Yet, they received no proper resolution. The jewelry appeared to be lost forever. By May 2024, they claimed no one had made amends for the situation.
In desperation, Faye shared her story with the media. Through her iPad, she penned a lengthy message, acknowledging any grammatical errors due to her macular degeneration. She expressed her frustration, stating "At the present time, the CEO is not returning my;our calls. I have done everything they have told me to do, but at this point it seems I don’t exist."
A CNN reporter reached out to the hospital and police department, awaiting a response. During numerous phone interviews, Faye detailed her saga.
She acknowledged her doubts about seeing her ring again. But she felt this was an opportunity to honor the memory of the man who gave her the ring.
"I want to tell you, I was not a princess when I met him," she said. "Tom made me a princess."
Faye cherishes their marital memories. However, the latter years were tainted
Before their marriage, Tom cared for his ailing mother. This act instilled in him a strong sense of service. Day in, day out, he dedicated himself to Faye, serving her breakfast in bed. He'd pick a flower from the garden and arrange it in a mini Waterford vase on her breakfast tray. He asked her how she wanted her banana sliced. He prepared English tea, along with toast, jam, and a coddled egg. Faye, a divorced mother of three, entered Tom's life, and he treated her children as his own.
Tom and Faye were married for 47 years. She was a mental-health counselor, and he worked in the Navy Supply Corps. Post-Navy, he obtained his contractor's license. "Every house we ever lived in, he would remodel," she said. He handled the plumbing and electrical work, add a family room, install French doors, take on additional jobs to afford a new Jacuzzi for the woman he adored.
They maintained their passionate relationship, traveling from Florida to Rhode Island, from London to Istanbul, and back to Florida. Faye admired his good looks and appreciated his scent. They danced on the beach with their eyes closed.
Tom took care of Faye until he couldn't anymore. In his fifties, something went wrong with his mental health. First, it was dementia, then Parkinson's Disease. He made mistakes with paint jobs. He walked outside in his underwear. In a grocery store, he picked up a piece of gum from the floor and put it in his mouth.
Tom's health began to decline, starting with his feet. It was Faye's turn to care for Tom. She helped him out of the hot tub when he couldn't do it himself. She placed him on a mat in the yard, so he could lie down and work on gardening. She woke up early to clean the gutters so he wouldn't remind her that it was his job.
Their situation continued for over 20 years. He was her husband, but the man she married was a memory. He asked to move to a nursing home, and she reluctantly agreed. Sometimes she woke in the middle of the night and went to the nursing home to be with him.
"I don’t want to die," he told her.
‘He was so captivating’
As Faye Bauman recalled her husband, the situation regarding the missing ring seemed to change following a CNN reporter's inquiries about the jewelry. A spokesperson from the Gainesville Police Department mentioned that the case had been assigned to a detective.
Also, a representative from HCA Healthcare's North Florida division issued the following statement:
"Compassionate care is our top priority for the staff at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital. We investigated this matter with our contracted security provider responsible for securing patient belongings, and we have assisted the Gainesville Police Department with their investigation, which is ongoing. We regret the loss of this personal item and have committed to compensating this individual to rectify the situation."
Although an improvement, it was not the full resolution Faye desired. She continued to seek answers about the disappearance of the ring and wanted to know what hospital officials had done in the year that followed.
As for the man who gave her the ring, she is convinced about his final destination.
Near the end, he was on painkillers, and he stopped talking. They were together, and he was fading away.
"Oh," she said, remembering that moment, "he was so captivating."
She gripped his hand, leaned in for a kiss, and whispered the Lord's Prayer, feeling as if celestial beings were present in the room. As she heard Tom's final sigh, she expressed her devotion to God.
Earthly treasures may not last, yet seven more years she adorned that diamond ring. Just like Tom, it vanished.
"You realize," Faye mused, "our life was truly remarkable."
Her voice trembled, recalling him. The old Tom, the one who knelt before her that day back in '67. She longed to see him again. Transformed, rejuvenated. His arms outstretched, ready to greet her with a warm embrace.
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In response to the CNN reporter's inquiries, the Gainesville Police Department assigned the missing engagement ring case to a detective.
Determined to find answers, Faye and her daughter continued their pursuit, involving both the hospital officials and local law enforcement, even after a year had passed.
