Charity cash stolen from 6 year old disabled boy who has Rett Syndrome
Raiders ransack disabled boy’s room to steal charity cash
RAIDERS broke into a severely disabled boy’s bedroom and ransacked the house before stealing £300 of charity cash.
The thieves broke into the house of six-year-old Chris Dupree, in the early hours of Saturday, stealing money which was ready to be used as the float for the James Hopkins Trust family fun day yesterday.
Chris, who has Rett syndrome and is unable to walk or talk, had his Abbeydale bedroom turned upside down as the thieves looked for their loot.
He was at respite with the charity overnight but his mother Deb who was asleep in the house was left stunned by the audacity of the thieves.
Deb said: “It is scary, knowing people have been in. You wonder if they have been watching the house to see when Chris was away or if they have just done it on the off chance. I’m angry also.”
The 29-year-old is part of James Hopkins Trust Family Committee and had taken the £300 raised for the float money to her dad’s post office in Charlton Kings to be made into change for the event.
“Chris goes to respite once every seven or eight weeks and on Friday he went so me and my husband Pete could go and watch Harry Potter. We hadn’t been in bed long and the burglars must have come in some time between 1.30am and 4am,” she said.
Two laptops, a purse, a wallet, two mobile phones, the £300 which was kept in a box with “raffle” written on it, and other items were taken from the house in The Wheatway where Deb lives with Chris, husband Pete, 32, Alex, two and Madeleine, one.
But, Deb said the worst thing was knowing how valuable the stolen money would have been to the trust, which provides practical help for severely disabled, life threatened and life limited children with nursing needs.
She said: “James Hopkins Trust is magical and that money would have been used to help so many families. Such a shame.”
But since the break-in, family and friends have rallied round.
A ‘justgiving page’ was set up to raise the stolen funds. And within a few hours more than £300 was donated so the fun day could go ahead in Barnwood, yesterday.
Deb, added: “My husband’s best friend is quite an amazing man and by 8.30am on Saturday he had set up a page for people to donate and we got the £300 and more back.”
Sarah James, of the trust’s family committee, said: “Thank goodness Chris was in respite when they broke into his bedroom but they still stole the money and Deb’s personal effects. I can’t believe people have done this, I just hope whoever did it gets caught soon.
“It is amazing the people grouped together and stepped up to help us put the event on.”
Inspector Les Pritchard of Gloucestershire Police, said: “An address was broken into in The Wheatway in the early hours of Saturday.
“Anyone with information about the incident should call Gloucestershire Police on 0845 090 1234.”
To donate to James Hopkins Trust visit www.justgiving.com/get-300-quid-back.
