That's a happy ending. I'm glad she got the medals back. I actually wonder why people get rid of them?
As most veterans were reticent in telling their families what they did in the war the families, in most cases, just don't appreciate the history behind those medals, be they campaign or gallantry ones. Even spouses may not know, and so they pass them on without a second thought. There are cases when families sell them when they need the money, which I can understand to a degree. When we see a certain medal selling for £X, we can see that a certain amount of significance has been placed on the history of the medal, and the man behind it. But to some medals are merely commodities, like anything else they own, like their car or house.
I think it's just stupid that they sell medals that those men and women fought to gain in armed service for their country.