A sickening blow for Christmas

Three days before Christmas, while in hospital, Jenna Harris' home was burgled. Thieves took everything from her TV, presents purchased for family to the food in her cupboards.

A chronically ill woman's return home from hospital has been ruined by burglars who took treasured possessions and ransacked her house.

After 17 days in Palmerston North Hospital, there was nothing Jenna Harris had been looking forward to more than getting back to her own home and seeing her pets.

Instead, she was confronted by the news that her house had been ransacked by thieves.

Harris, 29, was in hospital receiving treatment for cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that affects several organs, particularly the lungs and pancreas, by clogging them with thick, sticky mucus.

It's a condition she was diagnosed with aged 4, and she will continue to battle it for the rest of her life.

Her mother and stepfather, Sandy and Steve Kiddle, believe Harris' flat in suburban Roslyn was broken into sometime on Sunday evening.

On Monday they found furniture and possessions from the living area of the house - which had been carefully stacked in bedrooms while new carpet was laid - were tossed all over her bed and on the floor.

Initially, Sandy Kiddle thought the carpet-layers were responsible and gave them a blast for making a mess.

Half an hour later, her husband arrived and thought the same thing, giving them a second tongue-lashing.

But then they noticed the television was gone, and realised the house had been burgled.

The window had been jemmied open, they believe, with a small tomahawk found outside.

Perfume, jewellery, including a ring Harris was given on her 21st birthday and a cross belonging to her nana, were taken, as well as her Xbox, Wii console, games, DVDs and all the Christmas presents she had carefully saved for, and started buying in September.

Her pantry and freezer were also cleared out.

Breaking the news to her daughter was far from the homecoming Sandy Kiddle had planned.

When the carpet was finished, they had planned to restore all the furniture to its rightful place, along with a new dining table set they had bought as a surprise gift.

Instead, she burst into tears and told her daughter about the burglary when she picked her up from hospital on Monday.

"When mum told me, I was just like 'Oh my god'," Harris said.

"I didn't cry until I came home and saw what they had done, and everything had gone and [I'm] having to start all over again."

Unable to work because of her illness, everything Harris purchased was carefully saved from her sickness benefit, and she could not afford insurance.

Harris had only been in the flat for a short time, after moving from Hawke's Bay,to Palmerston North six weeks ago to be nearer to her family. But she now felt unsafe and was looking for a new flat that would take her and her two beloved pets, Bella the cat and Astro the dog.

"I don't really want to be here any more," she said.

Harris' best friend Jen Hill, based in Australia, has set up an account called "Help Jenna replace her stolen items" through the mycause website.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the Rata St area, or who has any information about the burglary, is asked to contact palmerston north police on 06 351 3600.

Read the story or see the campaign.