UPDATE: The family told WBRZ that the jacket has been returned. 

Read the original story below:

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DENHAM SPRINGS - A family keepsake, stitched together in purple and gold, is likely lost in a thrift store donation bin. Michael "Bubba" Gagliano, a lifelong LSU Tigers fan, passed away Sunday at 75 years old.

In life, "Bubba" wore many hats, as he was in the LSU band in the '60s, served as an Air Force Sergeant, became a Baton Rouge Police Officer and was a husband and father. But his daughter, Carrie Gagliano insists, he wore just one jacket. It was purple corduroy with Mike the Tiger embroidered on the left-hand side. 

"He had this special made, just as a representation of his love for LSU and his time in the band, and so we just want it back," Gagliano said.

After her father passed away Sunday, Carrie and her sister went to the nursing home Monday to clean out his closet. Carrie says her sister opened the closet and realized the jacket was gone. Both searched their homes and turned up nothing. 

The nursing home staff told Carrie the jacket was in the lost and found. Not knowing who it belonged to, the staff brought it to the Denham Springs Goodwill. 

"My sister came and looked yesterday, today was my turn," she said. "We're just holding out hope that maybe we missed it." 

In the U.S. and Canada combined, Goodwill receives close to 107 million donations annually. In Southern Louisiana, searching for a specific LSU jacket is akin to searching for a needle in a very big tiger-striped haystack.

"You know, it's a cool jacket if I saw it in a Goodwill, I would probably buy it as well," Carrie said.

Wanting to spread the word, the family posted on Facebook that they were searching for it. Overnight the post went viral, with 17 thousand shares. 

"It just means so much that so many people would help us during this time," she said.

Carrie says, like her dad, the custom jacket is one of a kind, and she knows there's no replacing the real thing.

If you find the jacket, you can email Carrie Gagliano at Carrie.g.person@gmail.com