A Stevenage charity founder who helps cancer patients has vowed that she will not be beaten after thieves broke into her office and stole donations and laptops.
Jasmin Gupta, founder of Cancer Hair Care in Middle Row, came to work on Monday morning to find crooks had smashed through two doors and helped themselves to money, donations, laptops and hair clippers.
They had trashed Jasmin’s office, throwing wigs on the floor and taking items from the Jo Gates Salon which is next door.
Knitted woollen dollies which are made by volunteers and given to children to help explain hair loss had also be thrown on the ground.
Jasmin said: “When I came in I just burst into tears.
“The most upsetting thing for me was seeing the dollies and wigs on the floor, abandoned.
“I feel really sad for whoever has done this because they must have been in a really low place to have stolen from cancer patients.
“We can’t even communicate with people online anymore.
“But this is not going to stop us.”
Cancer Hair Care is the only charity specialising in helping women at all stages of cancer treatment.
The charity offers expert advice and free services for women who are worried about losing their hair or what they can do with it.
Around £200 of donations, given by fundraisers, was taken from a jar in the office as well as laptops which had been donated to the charity.
Some of the wigs and dollies may now have to be thrown away as dirty items cannot be taken on to hospital wards and given to patients.
Each wig costs around £200 and is normally wrapped in tissue paper to keep it safe.
Jasmin said one of the worst losses was the photographs and fundraising documents kept on the computer – items that are worthless to thieves.
She said: “On them are 10 years worth of memories and plans which have enabled us to help thousands of women.
“They aren’t worth anything anyone except us.
“It is not the end of the world, cancer patients give you a great perspective on things. I can just hear them in my head now telling me to not give up.
“We will find a way to carry on.”
To donate to Cancer Hair Care visit www.justgiving.com/CaringHair/
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