The owner of a long-lost ring found on P.E.I. has come forward and she's never been to the Island

The caseof a missing gold ring found on Cavendish Beach years agohas been solved and the story now stretches from one coast to the other.

Christa Stacey found the gold Haida wrap ring on the boardwalk in May 2018when she was visitingfrom Newfoundland and hadbeen trying to discover its owner through social mediaever since as CBC P.E.I. reported on Friday.

The story was shared on social media, and Melissa Greene's sister texted her a link. Greene, who lives in Maple Ridge, B.C., had never been to P.E.I. and hadn't seen herring in 11 years.

She read the article and cried.

"I grew up with a lot of struggles, and in my struggle made a lot of poor decisionsand a lot of mistakes. And in that I lost everything. I lost everything, more than one time, including the ring. Including myself."

She said she never expected to get anything from her old life back, let alonethe ring.

Her dad Tom an artist in Skidegate onHaida Gwaii made the intricately etched ring for her when she was 19.

It says "Missy" and "dad xoxo".

When he heard it had been found, he cried too.

"He's the only one that still calls me Missy," she said.

Greene said she and her father didn't always have a great relationshipbut have grown closer over the last few years. The ring "means more to me now thanit ever didbefore," she said.

Greene said after she read the story repeatedly she reached out to Stacey over Facebook. Greene verified the ring was hers by sharing photos of her dad's other work, and Stacey said she would send it to her Monday.

Greene said if not for COVID, she'dgo get it herself.

"I'm planning on going to that boardwalk," she said. "Myringhas travelled farther than I have across Canada."

She's not sure how she'll feel when she puts it back on her finger.

"I think it's going to be pretty overwhelming," she said. "It's already pretty overwhelming."

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