TAMPA, Fla., (WFLA) — A heartbroken mother reached out to 8 On Your Side after she had to dig to find her daughter’s headstone.
She said she has never seen the cemetery in such disrepair.
Melanie Bridwell’s daughter is buried at Garden of Memories off of East Lake Avenue in Tampa.
Bridwell said she and her husband went to the cemetery on Sept. 2 to visit their daughter for her birthday, and that they both left emotional after seeing the state the headstone was in.
“I got on my hands and knees and said, I’m going to find this headstone. I got on my hands and knees, we didn’t have anything to dig with, so I started digging with my bare hands, finally got to her tombstone and we cleaned it off,” Bridwell said.
Bridwell lost her daughter, Angel, 39 years ago and comes to visit her daughter for birthdays and holidays.
“It’s a place to find some peace, just a place to grieve,” she said.
Last week, she and her husband came with balloons and flowers in hand, but when they showed up, she said they could not find where their daughter was buried.
“I just noticed that it was very overgrown; the other little headstones that were there were just all covered up, it was like there weren’t any headstones,” Bridwell said.
The grieving mother said going to the cemetery is the only way they can celebrate with their daughter, and that they have never seen conditions like this.
“To this day, my husband and I will stand there and speak with her, and cry. This time, I left very angry. I was glad that we had went, but it’s just like a mom that nobody messes with your children, and it was that feeling,” she said.
After Bridwell said she got the runaround from the cemetery, 8 On Your Side reached out to Garden of Memories for answers.
They sent us a statement:
““The family was unhappy with the upkeep of a particular garden. Upon learning of their displeasure, we surveyed the area and determined that it could be spruced up. We immediately began working on it. Our intention is to maintain the cemetery grounds, as they are sacred to all of our families, and to us. We do our best to meet the expectations of the families we are honored to serve, and we sincerely apologize to this family if they were disappointed.”
-Garden of Memories
On Wednesday, the headstone was more visible as the cleanup process has begun.
Bridwell said her only wish is that when they come to visit for Christmas, everything is back like it should be.
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