Two heartless women have stolen a critical delivery of food and feeding tubes meant for a terminally ill 12-year-old girl in Melbourne's west, leaving her devastated parents pleading for the return of the supplies.
Desperate Plea After Theft of Life-Sustaining Formula
Five weeks' worth of formula, which Jana cannot live without, was snatched from her doorstep in Tarneit on Wednesday. The formula is essential for her survival, as she relies on a feeding tube due to Leigh's Syndrome, a deadly and degenerative genetic disorder.
"It's the only thing she can eat or drink," her father Mohammad Hamooudeh said.
Jana's mother, Yasmin Aklakel, described her daughter's condition: "She can't walk, she can't see, she can't hear. She can't do anything that any other child can do."
Most children with Leigh's Syndrome do not live past six years old, a tragic reality the family has already faced. "We had my son, his name was Saif. He died at three years old. He should be 17 years old," Aklakel said.
The family has been targeted before. Four months ago, another $900 delivery of Jana's food was stolen, and there have been numerous attempted thefts. "One time they tried to break into the car. One time they got a hammer and tried to hit the keypad," Aklakel said.
Despite the challenges, Jana's sister is determined to become a genetic doctor to help others like her siblings. "My daughter has her first exam today, and she wants to be a genetic doctor to help people that are like her sister and her brother," Aklakel said.
CCTV footage captured the theft, but the family says the thieves have not returned the supplies. "I've been sitting in front of the window just waiting for them to drop them back home. I was waiting to see if they would have some empathy when they knew what it was. They didn't," Aklakel said.
