A woman’s special wedding dress was accidentally donated by her father earlier this year and she was heartbroken. When she was planning her wedding, she initially was not going to have a wedding dress. But her mother purchased it for her because she herself wasn't able to have one. Tanya Walsh, the bride and owner of the dress, who lives in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, had hoped to pass down her dress to her daughters, reported Yahoo Life.
Walsh shared her story in a Facebook post. Thanks to the story being spread and shared on social media, she was able to recover her wedding dress.
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Her father accidentally donated it during a closet clean out.
Walsh was married in the summer of 2018, and the dress had been in storage ever since. It wasn’t until a family holiday gathering earlier this year that Walsh learned her father had cleaned out the closet where her dress was stored and accidentally donated it, reported Yahoo Life.
Several other items were donated as well, including the dress her late mother had worn to both her brother’s wedding and her wedding.
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She asked people on social media for help.
Walsh took to Facebook after learning her dress has been donated. She made a post explaining why the dress was sentimental and valuable to her stating: “This was a special dress for obvious reasons, but most importantly a dress my mother bought me right before she passed away … She passed away 2 months after I got married and this dress was to act and serve as something to keep forever that would help remind me of her and a special heirloom for my own children. I have 2 girls now and I am devastated that I don’t have this for them one day, marriage or not. I NEED TO FIND THIS DRESS!!!!”
She shared photos of the dress and detailed the style, color, make, and size, in hopes of locating it and asked Facebook users to please share her post. “Please share to all locale groups you belong to. Buy and sell groups. Tag anyone you know getting married. I’m desperate! I truly do appreciate any help in this matter. I can’t tell you the amount of tears I have shed and sleepless nights I have had because of this. I appreciate any help in locating this very special dress to me. Thank you," Walsh wrote.
A kind volunteer found it for her.
Sheila Kelly, who volunteers at a St. Vincent de Paul Store in Bowmanville, Ontario, is the one who found Walsh’s wedding dress.
Walsh updated her original post made on March 23, saying, “UPDATE: DRESS HAS BEEN FOUND!! Thank you all who shared and followed the story. I appreciate each and every one of you. What a relief.” In her Facebook post, Walsh called the kind volunteer who found her dress, “Saint Sheila," who “saves the day."
Facebook users celebrated the unlikely recovery of her dress.
Facebook users offered Walsh their congratulations and shared their amazement at the happy and unlikely discovery of her dress.
One user commented, "This should be a Hallmark Channel storyline if it isn't already!"
“Finally facebook used as a positive tool so happy for everyone," another user commented.
“I believe that Saint Sheila was the person your Mom selected to locate your dress and return it to you,” someone else wrote. "So happy to see this story had a happy ending."
