Angela Hurdle honoured for returning lost wallet

One good deed deserves another and that’s exactly what happened recently when one young man lost his wallet but had it returned to him by a lady who found it.

Andre Bryan’s wallet, which was found at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, was less important for him because of the cash he had in it and more valuable because it contained photos of his parents who have passed on. He said that when he received his lost wallet, he had to return the good deed by rewarding the person who found it.

While recounting the incident to Barbados TODAY, Bryan, who is also associated with the Centre for Solutions and Influence (CSI) for Men and Fathers said that when he lost his wallet, he wondered how it could even be returned to him as no one could reach him by phone because his mobile was being fixed.

However, Angela Hurdle, the woman who returned his wallet, went to great lengths to ensure that it was returned to him. She called the numbers she could find in his wallet from those listed on business cards to posting on social media just so the item could be returned.

“It was so amazing to get it back because when you lose something just like a wallet or a purse, it has a lot of valuable stuff in it with your ID card and driver’s licence. It would have your NIS card and my wallet even had photos of my mother and father,” he said, adding that both of his parents have passed away, but he carried them in his wallet to keep their memories alive.

“When I got in contact with her, she wanted to make sure that I was the person it belonged to. It was very nice of her for hanging on to it and ensuring that it was mine. She really investigated to ensure that she found me. It was also on social media,” he recalled.

Bryan decided to return the favour to Hurdle by presenting her with a basket of goodies through the CSI for Men and Fathers at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, 5th Floor NIS Building.

Chairman of CS, Dr Anthony Cummins said he was pleasantly surprised by the entire endeavour. “She called me and asked if I’m familiar with Andre Bryan. I told her yes. She asked if I had a number for him and I did so I [passed that on] and they met up and she presented the wallet to him. It had money in it and we at CSI thought that this was a fantastic opportunity to honour someone that is so kind,” he said.

Dr Cummins said he believed Hurdle’s gesture deserved to be highlighted, as opposed to just calling her. After an internal discussion with the team, Dr Cummins said that one of their visually impaired officers, Ralbert Ashton, decided it would be best to get a fruit basket and to “make a big fuss out of it” so that she could be celebrated.

Her colleagues, including her Permanent and Deputy Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, cheered her on during the presentation. (MR)