By Cam Lucadou-Wells
No one needs to have their car stolen – least of all, Hampton Park terminally-ill mother Lisa Hart.
She spent Mother’s Day driving around Cranbourne in a forlorn attempt to find her 18-year-old Nissan Pulsar.
The reliable ‘second car’ was stolen from Fountain Gate shopping centre’s outside car park near the south-east bus stops on Friday 10 May between 6-8pm.
Three days later, it was found as an incinerated wreck in Kirkham Road Dandenong.
The loss was a cruel blow for an exhausted Ms Hart, a 51-year-old breast cancer surviver diagnosed with terminal secondary cancer in her lymph nodes in November.
Her family have been hit by thousands in out-of-pocket expenses as she pursues trial drugs to prolong her life.
There’s $2200 for a machine to drain fluid from Ms Hart’s arm, $500 for an arm compression sleeve as well physio treatments.
“There’s no justice,” she says.
“Sometimes you think you run out of tears but I haven’t.
“Cancer makes you sick and it makes you broke. It financially destroys you. I just think to the universe – can I have a break?”
The worst thing is now fearing for her family’s safety, Ms Hart says. She hopes the thieves don’t track down and break into the family address.
“I’ve never laid in bed at night before, thinking someone could drive up and steal the other car and car keys – but now I do.“
The family will now have to dig deep for another car to help shuttle two children to school and university.
There’s also the youngest daughter Isabeau’s state softball training around Melbourne, netball in Cranbourne and Ms Hart’s visits to Peter Mac cancer centre in the CBD.
The Pulsar had been used by Ms Hart’s husband to get to the train station for work and by her daughter Samara to study at Deakin University, Burwood.
Samara now faces two-hour commutes on public transport to get to uni, while Dad takes the bus to Narre Warren train station.
The car had run with little problem, and was likely to last another five years, Ms Hart said. She’d planned to give it to her youngest daughter next year.
Ms Hart is otherwise fighting on as she undergoes medical trial after trial.
“The treatments get worse and worse until you can’t stand them anymore.
“I’m desperate not to die while my kid is at VCE. I don’t want to stuff up my kid’s future.
“They don’t deserve that.”
If you can help the Hart family with a replacement vehicle, contact lisaghart@bigpond.com
Any information on the car theft to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au
