When Good Jewelry Goes Bad: One Engagement Ring's “Frosty” Adventure

If rings could talk, they'd likely have a lot to say about fingers. Some would prefer the traditional ring finger; others the index, or a fashionable pinky. They might have tales of close encounters with dish washing or moments of glory to regale about a day when the sun was warm and bright and they shone with all their might, dazzling onlookers. But of all the things a ring might have to impart, a story about being swallowed seems like a pretty unlikely one. Still, that's exactly what the engagement ring belonging to Kaitlin Whipple would be abuzz about if only it could communicate.
Why, exactly, would anyone swallow a ring? Well, it seems that Kaitlin's eager fiancée, one Reed Harris, whipped up an idea for an engagement proposal that was more heartfelt than well-planned. Harris, who bought the dazzling and sentimental piece of jewellery recently after deciding he couldn't wait to propose to his girlfriend of three months, opted for a spur-of-the-moment affair. On the night in question, while out with some friends at a Wendy's restaurant, Harris dumped the gold ring in a Frosty dairy shake, and rushed it home to Whipple.
The two proceeded to have a “finishing contest,” to see who could gulp down their frosty fastest. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Amazingly, Whipple reports she didn't feel the ring at all, and a distraught Harris searched through his friends' Frosties in search of the jewelry. Finding none, he whisked Whipple off to the emergency room, where an x-ray confirmed that the gold and diamond ring meant to be slipped on the finger was cozily residing in Whipple's stomach.



Far from putting a damper on the occasion, the accidental ring imbibing seems to have had just the right touch: Whipple said “yes,” and the pair plans to be wed in due time. The ring itself is reported as being in full recovery after passing through Whipple's digestive system. The happy couple has come out not only with a wedding date, but with quite a story to tell their grandkids -- and a great deal of national publicity as well.
Luckily for costume jewellery hounds, most trendy rings are a little too noticeable to go diving down the throat. And even if a cocktail ring found its way into the stomach, it'd be far less unnerving than the idea that thousands and thousands of dollars worth of jewelry were awash with digestive acids. So whether you stick to rings that can hold their own in a milkshake or you opt to purchase with accidental scarfing in mind, make sure you choose a piece that captures the sweet sentiments of Harris' and Whipple's engagement.