A woman is pleading for the return of several crosses belonging to her late brother that were stolen from her vehicle in Peterborough, Ont., earlier this week.
Erin Ann Lumley says early Wednesday as she was getting ready to go to work she discovered her car had been broken into on Maxwell Avenue in the city’s south end.
All her belongings were taken. However, she says she nearly “fell to her knees” realizing her purse was also missing. Inside the purse were a trio of small wooden crosses that belonged to her younger brother Nelson.
Her sibling died in March 2016 at the age of 18 after a battle with sarcoma cancer, which had spread to his stomach, kidney and pancreas. He was diagnosed with the cancer in the fall of 2015 and underwent rounds of chemotherapy.
Lumley says the crosses were a gift to Nelson and hung on his bed during his six months in palliative care prior to his death. She says the crosses give her a connection to her brother and helped her through the hard times during his battle.
“They (crosses) mean a lot to me,” she told Global News. “I spent every night with him (in palliative).”
Lumley says she and her brother had an “unbreakable” bond and that he was “one of a kind” and would stand up for other kids being picked on and always “made them feel included.”
“He was very giving, polite,” she said. “He had a lot of friends and was popular, probably because he was so kind.”
Lumley has reported the vehicle break-in to the Peterborough Police Service. She says the other items stolen, including a Nintendo Switch, are irrelevant and can be replaced — but the crosses are irreplaceable.
“They mean a lot to me and I would love to have them returned,” she said.
Anyone with information is asked to call police or contact Lumley via Facebook Messenger.