TACOMA, Wash. -- A mother in Pierce County is reaching out to the community for help after her 5-year-old son lost something very important to their family this week.
While picking up groceries this week at a Safeway, Savanna Nop said her son Travis dropped his necklace containing his father's ashes.
"We were just going through the aisles and my son touched his neck and realized his necklace was gone," she said.
Nop said she looked everywhere, but couldn't find it.
"I just freaked out, I didn't know what to think," she said.
It's been days, and Nop said she's worried her son's necklace may be gone forever.
"He thinks his dad is in that necklace," she said.
About two years ago, Nop and her son lost a loving husband and father.
"His dad passed away October 10 of 2017. It was a homicide," she said.
Inside the pendant of Travis' necklace are his father's ashes. Since the funeral, Nop said her son has worn the necklace every day.
"I'm just scared that it's being mistreated. What if they don't know what's inside it?" she said.
Travis wore the necklace, but Nop said it means just as much to her.
"I feel like I lost him for the second time," she said. "Not only was Travis attached to that necklace I was also. It gave both of us comfort."
The last two years have been tough for them. Nop moved to Washington to start a new life with Travis, raising him on her own in an unfamiliar place. But she's finding comfort in the support her community.
She posted about the necklace on Facebook, and it in just a few days the post was shared thousands of times. People have even offered to help search for the necklace.
"It's blown up really big. I'm just hoping someone sees it and someone knows," she said.
The necklace has been spotted at least once. Employees at the store told Nop they saw the necklace the day her son lost it and that a little boy was playing with it at one of the checkout lanes.
Nop said she hopes sharing her story will help bring a piece of her husband back to her family.
"I'm just hoping to get it back," she said.
