Thief nabs precious medication
After having a double lung transplant five years ago, Timaru woman Gail Sargent is reliant on life-saving medication to ensure her body does not reject the new lungs.
So she was ‘‘disgusted’’ to find someone had smashed their way into her car at the weekend to steal a bag of the anti-rejection medication she relies on.
‘‘I don’t think they stopped for a second to think they could be causing great harm,’’ Sargent said.
‘‘If I run out, I’m in serious trouble. They’re no good to them, but to me they’re a lifesaver, so I hope they enjoy them.’’
Sargent, who suffered from emphysema for about five years before her transplant, said she forgot to take the bag of medication inside when she arrived home on Friday night.
When she went out to retrieve the medication from her car, which was parked outside her home in James St, on Saturday morning she found her car had been broken into, a window smashed and the medication missing.
‘‘I never leave stuff in the car. This was the first time I did.
‘‘Now I have to find a replacement window,’’ she said.
Sargent said she contacted police to report the incident, but did not believe she would get her medication back and had already ordered $25 worth of replacements.
‘‘I’m on them for life and they’re not something you can just miss a day on,’’ she said.
‘‘I’ve got spares, which is just being careful. I would have had to go straight up to the hospital otherwise.’’
Sargent felt the burglar had ‘‘no conscience’’, the experience leaving her ‘‘really disgusted’’.
‘‘I’m quite disheartened with people these days. They don’t look out for their neighbours anymore.’’
A police spokesman confirmed they had received a report of the theft and said inquiries were ongoing.
Motorists were urged to take valuables with them when leaving a vehicle, whether parked on a street or in their own driveway.
‘‘Keep in contact with your neighbours too and let each other know if you notice anything unusual,’’ the spokesman said.
‘‘Importantly, we ask residents to not put themselves in danger or take the law into their own hands if confronted by offenders – but to instead contact police.’’