Cherished Memories Find Their Way Home – How Lyophilization Warmed a Heart

One morning as I was driving to work, I noticed something unusual in the middle of the four-lane road ahead. After I drove by, it dawned on me that it could have been a small laptop case, purse, or even a Bible. I spun around thinking someone may have inadvertently left it on their trunk as they drove off. The sight also reminded me of my wife’s grandfather who gave his beloved, annotated Bible to her before he passed away. It had highlights and a decade’s worth of notes – a remnant from his life she dearly cherished.

Upon closer investigation it turned out to be a leather-bound Bible, now sadly tattered and soaked after enduring multiple tire hits and a week of heavy rains. I picked up the pieces strewn along the 300-foot path and made my way into the office.

Inside the Bible’s cover, I found a name and a small notebook tucked in the case. I tried to call the church that was located nearby where I discovered it, and someone called me back indicating they didn’t have a member or knew anyone by the name I found inside the Bible’s cover. I then began a Google search with their name and the cities of various churches they visited since 2019 which were scribbled inside the notebook. I had several hits from obituaries and areas outside of Kansas City. Further down the search results, I found one that looked promising. A para-teacher at a nearby school district aligned with one of the cities found in the notes. I left a message with the high school administrator stating I was trying to track down the teacher.

While awaiting the return call, it was time to put Labconco’s FreeZone® 2.5L Freeze Dryer with the FreeZone® Small Tray Dryer to the test with a new experiment. Many museums around the world use freeze dryers to gently remove water from wood and paper artifacts, so surely this would be a simple task for our unit. We placed the four sections inside, set the parameters and awaited the results.

By the end of the day, it was time to see the result. The sections were cool to the touch and every page of the book was intact and dry. There wasn’t any musty or remnant morning dew odor. I did my best to unfold and re-flatten the pages and reassemble each chapter.

Remarkably every chapter and page made it past rush-hour traffic and no telling how many hits. I can’t say the same for the yellow highlighter inside the front pocket of the case. It was in a million pieces.

A few days later, I received a voicemail from the high school administrator asking me to return their call. I also received a call from someone with a similar last name as the one found on the inside cover. I briefly spoke with him sharing what I found and where I found it. He told me their car was broken into days earlier. We agreed to meet later that evening.

The gentleman and his wife met me near the area. I told them how and where I found it, and the process we used to bring it back to life. When I handed it to them, his wife burst into tears. Turns out it was her late grandfather’s Bible that she deeply cherished. While it wasn’t in perfect condition, it was still mostly intact, and every page was readable. We found a local source who will rebind it for them, hoping to restore it fully.

This encounter was a heartfelt reminder of the unexpected ways we can touch the lives of others, and how technology, often perceived as cold, can play a role in warming hearts and preserving precious memories.