Theft cuts life-saving surgery

By Sarah Schwager
A HAMPTON Park woman is reeling after having money set aside for a potentially life-saving operation stolen.
Victoria Garwood was asleep at home last Friday night and husband Peter sleeping on the couch when someone entered their house, stealing a handbag containing the $1500.
Also stolen were her husband’s watch and a laptop from the spare bedroom.
“I was really upset when I went to work that night,” Mrs Garwood said.
“Not only had I lost the money for the operation, but all the pictures of my grandkids were on that laptop.
“They’re the only ones I had from the last three years and now they’re all gone.”
Mr Garwood fell asleep watching cricket on TV about 8.30pm.
Mrs Garwood was sleeping in the bedroom before she started night shift and had their terrier dog in the room with her.
She said she got up at 10pm, but could not find her handbag that she had left in the lounge room.
“I woke up my husband and he said it was behind the couch on the floor, but it wasn’t there,” she said.
“We started looking around.
“Then my husband came out of the spare bedroom and said we’d been burgled and the laptop was gone.”
Mrs Garwood said she had only taken the money out of the bank that day in preparation for surgery this week.
After finding out she had polycystic kidney disease, Mrs Garwood elected to have lap-band surgery to help manage the disease that causes high blood pressure.
“I don’t have a problem losing the weight, but I can’t keep it off,” she said.
“We’ve been planning this for four months.”
If born with the disease that usually shows signs between the ages of 30 and 40, people should maintain a healthy diet, appropriate weight, not smoke and take part in regular physical activity.
Mrs Garwood was not sure if she would still be able to have the surgery, as they did not have the money to pay for it.
“I just can’t believe someone had the nerve to walk straight in our back door,” she said.
Police said a neighbour also reported someone in his backyard about 9.30pm on the same night.
He was drunk or pretending to be drunk and was holding a six pack of Bourbon and Coke with one in his hand.
The neighbour woke after he heard a wire door open and sensor light come on and confronted the man who said he was looking for a friend’s place in Sandown Park.
When told he was in Hampton Park, the man asked where he could catch a taxi and the neighbour directed him to the Hampton Park Shopping Centre before calling police.
Mrs Garwood urged people to be wary of anyone roaming around their yard.
“It could be a potential burglar. We had it happen to us once before,” she said.
“This guy was in our yard with no shoes on and wanted to use our phone, so we said we’d bring it out to him.
“ I just want people to be careful.”
Her neighbour described the man in his yard as about 164 centimetres tall, skinny, with brown shoulder-length hair and dark-brown clothing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Senior Constable Ollie Gaspari at Cranbourne CIU on 5991 0661 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.