BARRIE -- An Oro-Medonte family hopes someone has a cell phone containing irreplaceable photos and memories they fear could be lost forever.
Nancy Ianniello said goodbye to the love of her life Saturday in Barrie. Mark Ianniello died earlier this month at the age of 49, following a nearly two-year battle with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Married for 23 years, Nancy and their three children were by Mark's side, capturing photos of their time together during the final year of his life.
The Ianniellos raised thousands of dollars this summer ahead of Simcoe County's Walk to End ALS. Five months later, Mark was gone.
"It's not an easy thing to go through to watch your loved one suffer," said Nancy Ianniello. "It's been very hard on the family."
Earlier this week, while out with a friend for a meal at the North Barrie Crossing Shopping Centre on Cundles Rd. East near Duckworth Street, Nancy lost her cell phone, a grey Samsung S8 with a blue Mandala pop socket.
"There were pictures on there," said Ianniello. "It was pictures of this entire year of my husband's last year with us."
Ianniello said she likely dropped the cell phone in the parking lot area outside the Sunset Grill early Monday afternoon. Tracking the phone with an app, Ianniello believed it was still in the area until it disappeared days later.
"Silly me, should have backed it up, but I think I only backed it up until January 2018, and so everything from this year is gone."
The Ianniellos hope someone in the Barrie area knows where her phone is and returns it to a family grieving the loss.
