Autoworker lost his precious wallet gifted by sons. 10 years later, a midnight Facebook message sparked incredible discovery
In a world full of lost connections and forgotten items, something lost can rarely be rediscovered after years of absence. Yet, sometimes fate has a way of surprising us when we least expect it. A Michigan man recently experienced just that, when a Facebook message from a stranger revived a mystery that had remained unsolved for nearly a decade, reported CBS News. The strange turn of events proved how a seemingly lost item can find its way back home, with a little help from strangers.
Richard Guilford, a retired Michigan autoworker, received the surprising message late at night one day from a man in Minnesota. The message asked, "Did you lose your wallet years ago?" The stranger explained that the wallet had been found in the engine bay of a car. To Guilford’s astonishment, the message was about his own wallet, which had been missing since Christmas 2014.
The wallet, a tri-fold leather one, contained $15, a driver’s license, a work ID, $275 worth of gift cards, and some old lottery tickets. It was found in June in the engine bay of a 2015 Ford Edge at a repair shop in Lake Crystal, Minnesota, by mechanic Chad Volk. The wallet had somehow stayed hidden between the transmission and the air filter box for years, completely intact despite the passing time and harsh conditions. "Crazy," Volk remarked, reflecting on the unlikely discovery.
The story takes an even more surprising turn when it’s revealed that Guilford had worked on the same model of car back in 2014 at a Ford factory in Wayne, Michigan. He remembers losing the wallet while working on a Ford Flex, but he assumed it had fallen to the floor and would eventually be found. After searching 30 to 40 vehicles with no luck, he let the matter go. Years later, the wallet’s return rekindled a sense of gratitude. "It restores your faith in humanity," Guilford said, moved by the stranger’s effort to return the lost item. Now, he plans to keep the wallet as a family heirloom, passing down the incredible story to future generations.
In another surprising lost wallet story, a 5-year-old boy named Avery was heartbroken after losing the wallet he had been saving money in for a special gift. His mother, Sarah Campbell, shared the story on Facebook, hoping someone would find it. Avery had been saving his “Tooth Fairy money” for a bike, and the wallet, a camouflage trifold, contained his hard-earned savings. Strangers quickly rallied to help, with some offering to replace the wallet and others pitching in to make sure Avery could still buy his bike. Tracey Prettyman-Adams even offered to replace the wallet and money, asking for details on the missing funds. In a twist, Sarah mentioned that the wallet had been lost while Avery was at Sam's Club, but had not yet been returned to customer service. Within days, Sarah shared an update, saying Avery had enough for his bike and his wallet had been replaced, thanks to the kindness of strangers.