Cruel thieves target sick children

Gina Hodge's son Angus, 6, used the laptop-DVD player stolen from Starship. Photo / Natalie Slade

Heartless thieves are stealing from children in Auckland's Starship hospital, including items helping them recover from traumatic treatments.

Last month, one of Starship's laptop-DVDs - which are used to distract children from treatments - was stolen from a ward.

Auckland District Health Board spokesman Mark Fenwick said thefts were not uncommon and he was deeply disappointed and distressed by them.

"It's just a fact of life in this hospital. Some of the kids in that ward are there for lengthy periods - months.

"It wouldn't be unusual for a child to be there for up to a year, so it's important for parents to find ways [such as the laptop] to entertain their child." He said security around ward 26b, where the laptop was stolen, was increased after the theft.

Gina Hodge's 6-year-old son, Angus, was in the ward undergoing dialysis when the device was stolen.

She said using the laptop was a very special luxury for the children which gave them time out from their often traumatic treatment.

"It was just so cruel of someone to take it. It's what those kids rely on ... and it was chained to the table as well. So some mean person went out of their way to take it from those sick children."

She said Angus suffered from an extremely rare form of kidney failure and was constantly in and out of hospital for treatments.

"Those kids rely on whatever source of happiness they can get, you know. It's just time-out when they can watch a comedy or cartoon.

"It really helps them feel better and for someone to take it from them is just so cruel."

Ms Hodge's father, Mike Smith, bought the ward another laptop.

Mr Fenwick said it was very generous of the family. It was not uncommon for personal items to be stolen from patients and their family members at hospitals.

"It is a concern when patients' property is stolen or damaged," he said.

"It happens quite a bit. We've had cases of patients' families' cars stolen from the carpark. It's the reality of being in a city.

"We refuse to accept it. But as I say, we are alert, we have security, we monitor who comes and goes, we challenge people who are here after-hours and are not wearing ID."

He said the suspected thieves ranged from visitors to other patients.

Mr Fenwick said it was hard to catch the people who were taking the items as they could be discreetly concealed from their security cameras.

In 2008, at least a dozen DVDs used to help calm and soothe sick, injured children at Gisborne Hospital were stolen.

Clinical charge nurse Jane Donnelly said at the time that the children's DVDs were a crucial part of treatment.