THORNTON, Colo. — Florence Sanchez’s home has gone quiet, especially after she lost her husband, Robert Leroy Sanchez, to COVID-19 last month. But now she has another challenge: getting her husband's belongings back from the hospital.
“I’ve been sad. It’s crazy because I have a big house and I am the only one in it because my kids are all gone,” said Sanchez. “I thought he was too young to die. I still don't know what to do. I'm still in shock."
On Dec. 15, Sanchez’s husband was admitted to St. Anthony North Hospital after feeling ill at home. Shortly after, she was told her husband had COVID-19 and they had to leave since he was positive.
“I told him he couldn't die because he kept saying, 'I don't feel good. I think I am going to die.' And I said, 'You can't die. You have too many of us.' You know, he had too many of us to die,” said Sanchez.
About two weeks later, he passed away.
“I didn’t think I was going to be left alone. It's just crazy, especially when you've had a partner forever,” said Sanchez.
A few days later when Sanchez returned to collect her husband’s belongings, most importantly his gold chain with a crucifix on it, she was shocked when staff told her they couldn’t immediately find it.
“That was horrible. I was just crushed. I called my kids. I said, 'You're not going believe what just happened,'” said Sanchez.
In one instance, she says she was given the belongings of another man.
“I got in the car and said, 'No, this is too heavy.' And I opened the bag and it wasn’t my husband’s belongings. It belonged to some man named Fred,” she said.
Sanchez says staff apologized and told her they would keep looking. As weeks passed, she still hasn’t gotten any word on the chain her husband wanted to pass down.
“That's what he always used to say, 'Be yours when I'm gone, son,'” said Sanchez.
Denver7 reached out to the hospital but it did not respond in time for this report.
“I just figure something's wrong,” said Sanchez.
