Gear stolen from sick kids

ANDREW GORRIE/Dominion Post

NOT NICE: Hospital patient Viliamu Akeimo, seven, says the thieves who stole $12,000 worth of games and equipment from Wellington Children's Hospital should know "it wasn't very nice'.

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Seven-year-old hospital patient Viliamu Akeimo says the thieves who stole $12,000 worth of electronic games and equipment from Wellington Children's Hospital should know "it wasn't a very nice thing to do".

The two thieves were caught in Taumurunui soon after the burglary three weeks ago and police recovered some of the gear, including a laptop, two PlayStations and a digital camera.

However, five other laptops, XBox games, a CD player and other equipment have vanished.

Vanishia Hillman, 25, and Semaj Heta, 18, both of Auckland, have been charged over the hospital burglary and other offences and are to appear in court again in Auckland on August 22.

Bill Day, Wellington Hospital and Health Foundation chairman, said the items - all donated or paid for by donations from the public - were not insured.

The organisation is appealing to the public for help to replace the stolen gear and has already had some donations.

"It seems like an opportunistic theft, but I really can't understand what kind of people would steal off sick children in a hospital."

Viliamu's mother, Viola, said her son - who was often admitted to hospital with asthma - and other regular patients had been "gutted" by the thefts.

"Who does that to kids?"

Hospital play therapist Kate Marchant said she went to work one morning and found paperwork on the floor and rubbish dumped in the sink.

But it was only when she went to get a PlayStation that she realised the lock on the room where the equipment was stored had been broken and everything was gone.

She said the toys helped make hospital stays a little easier for children coping with pain and illness.

"There's one little girl who has to come in regularly for blood transfusions and she always has to play the Sing Star game while she has her treatment. She hates injections but she loves to sing."

Sergeant Lance Bright of Taumarunui police said a motel owner called police on July 1 after a unit was broken into.

Police arrived to find two men snuggled up with all the heaters on full blast and electronic equipment around them. "They didn't have much luggage of their own but they had some very nice equipment."

Mr Bright said a laptop with a sticker proclaiming it the "Property of Ward 18" alerted police to the identity of its real owner.

- © Fairfax NZ News