RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond family who moved from Norfolk in 2013 is having an extra-special Christmas this year.
Matt and Fran Pochily were moving to their new home, and during the process, they took most of their belongings but left behind items in their Norfolk attic and garage. They intended on retrieving them at a later date. But Matt said someone broke into the house and stole various items including a box full of Christmas ornaments and keepsakes.
TRENDING: Michael Vick buys toys to bring joy, holiday cheer to kids at Boys & Girls Club
However, nearly a decade later, a woman named Perri John Pritt moved into a house around the corner from the Pochily’s old home and discovered the ornaments in her attic. It’s still a bit of a mystery who moved the box there in the first place, but Pritt told News 3 that multiple tenants had lived in the home over the years.
After seeing the owner’s last name on an ornament, she started digging on social media and messaged Fran.
“That’s one of those moments where you stop in your tracks because, you know, these were things we thought were gone,” Matt said.
The ornaments included Matt’s very first ornament and a handmade angel his parents had since they were married in 1973. It was later passed on to his family.
“To me, to have lost that was, ‘Gosh, I let the family down’ kind of thing,” Matt told News 3.
All the ornaments decorate the Pochily family tree once again, and they wanted to publicly thank Pritt for taking the time to track them down.
“I think that’s just goodness. There’s no other way to describe it,” Fran stated.
The Pochilys haven’t met Pritt in person but hope to get together one day and thank her.
