Natasha Burnet with her son Cayden. Photo / GoFundMe
Natasha Burnet with her son Cayden. Photo / GoFundMe
When Natasha Burnet woke to the sound of loud voices coming from the garage of her Queensland home, she ran toward the sound - and found her son’s life in the balance.
Burnet’s 19-year-old son Cayden had what appeared to be a shotgun pointed at him and as the desperate mum entered the garage of her Moreton Bay home last week, three armed men turned their guns on her too.
“They were screaming for my car keys ... I had to think very quickly,” Burnet told the Daily Mail.
The car was essential transport for work but Burnet said she was focused entirely on protecting her whānau.
“At this point, I didn’t care at all about the car. I just wanted the thieves to leave me and my son alone,” she added.
The home invasion was just part of a series of thefts and violent incidents that culminated in two men being arrested at the North Lakes shopping centre.
A third man remains on the run.
Burnet said she had got the car back but it was “making all sorts of noises” and had suffered damage.
The Burnet family had just got back on its feet after a period of homelessness and living in insecure rentals and Natasha Burnet told the Daily Mail she feared the family’s finances could take a hit if damage to her car affected her ability to get to work.
A family friend has stepped in, launching a GoFundMe appeal to help them overcome the violent encounter.
“I am raising funds on behalf of a beautiful family, who have been subjected to a heinous crime, leaving them emotionally scarred, but also, without a family car to commute to school and work,” the appeal reads.
The Burnet family. Photo / GoFundMe
“This is a family who have suffered homelessness, along with many other life challenges, their 14-year-old son recently underwent lifesaving surgery.
“Both Mum and Dad are extremely hard-working, dedicated parents who, no matter what obstacles stood in their way, had a smile on their face and a positive outlook.
“As a mother myself, I cannot begin to comprehend the feeling of walking into such a confronting scene.
“The emotional damage this situation has caused this beautiful family, is absolutely heartbreaking.
“Any additional funds raised will ensure the family have the resources available to seek the professional help they need, to work through this together.”
Burnet says she hopes the thieves face justice.
“We’re not the only family they hurt ... I hope they’re put away for a very long time,” she said.
