Keep the Money: After Wallet Stolen, Heartbroken Mom Just Wants One Thing Returned

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Brison Hathaway died at 4 months old. Now his mother is pleading with whoever stole her wallet to return her son’s hospital bracelet. (Photo: Casey Kilcup/Facebook)

A mother whose wallet was stolen out of her car is making a public plea — not for the money or the credit cards that were inside, but for the return of her late son’s hospital bracelet.

Brison Hathaway was 4 months old when he died unexpectedly in January. Though the autopsy is not yet complete, mom Casey Kilcup told CBS Boston that she believes her son died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). She recently returned to work after taking time off to grieve, but on Saturday, someone stole her wallet, which had the money from her first paycheck. Still, it’s not the cash, credit cards, license, or checkbook that Kilcup is upset about losing. The wallet also held two hospital bracelets — one that Brison wore and one that she wore on the day her baby son was born.

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On Sunday, Kilcup made an online plea for their return, which has been shared more than 3,000 times. “To whoever stole my wallet out of my car last night there’s a few things I’d like you to know, first of all the money that was in there was from my first paycheck after resuming work since my son died in January. I hope the money goes to good use, if you had to steal it then you needed it more than me,” she wrote in a public Facebook post. “However the money does not concern me, nor the license, medical cards or checkbook. All I ask is that one thing be returned. Two hospital bracelets, one sized for a baby and one for an adult. The date on them is September 12, 2014. Those bracelets were on my son and I the day he was born, the same son that passed away in January. Since then we have saved every item of his, and I carried those bracelets to remind me of how blessed I am to be the mother of an angel.”

Kilcup did not respond to Yahoo Parenting’s request for comment.

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According to My Fox Boston, the wallet was inside Kilcup’s car, which was parked in the driveway of her Plymouth, Mass., home. The mother says she parked for 10 minutes and left the wallet inside while she brought her daughter, one of her three other children, into the house. When she returned, the wallet was gone.

Kilcup has saved everything that Brison owned, and she kept the bracelets in her wallet at all times. “Everything has been sealed and put away to try and preserve every little bit of him, every smell, everything,” she told My Fox Boston. “The hospital bracelets were the only thing that could fit in my wallet to be able to carry with me.“

Kilcup wrote in her post that she would have been happy to give whoever stole her wallet some cash. “I wish you had knocked on my door, because I am honestly the type of person to hand out money to people in need,” she wrote. “If it was used for drugs then please take whatever you have left and check yourself into rehab. For one day you may steal from the wrong person, and not get away.”

CBS Boston reports that strangers have come out to help Kilcup search for the wallet, which may have been discarded by the thief. But so far, no luck.

Still, Kilcup is holding onto hope. In her post, she makes clear that anyone who returns the bracelets will do so without consequences. To the thief, she writes: “So please if you see this, know that I will pray for you, I am so sorry for you and the difficult life circumstances you must face, but please, bring back my baby boy’s things, no questions asked, I already forgive you.”

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