Plea from mother of disabled Newport girl to return statue

Eight-year-old Felicity Watkins, of East Dock Road, Pill, was diagnosed with Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy (AMAN), which is a form of Guillain–Barré syndrome when she was two years old. She has no use of her arms and requires the use of a ventilator to breathe.

Felicity Watkins before getting the virus

Although doctors initially told her parents there was little chance of her getting better, Felicity is now attending a mainstream school and undergoing physiotherapy. She is even beginning to stand unaided.

Felicity Watkins now

But Felicity's mum Frances, 32, said her daughter - known to her family as 'Fizz ' had been left heartbroken after a statue in the family's garden was stolen this week.

“It's such an inexpensive thing to steal - not that stealing anything is right," she said.

The stolen statue

“I would just ask the thieves why they think they have the right to take things people have worked hard for, or in Fizz’ case deserve to have, and not worry about it being stolen just so they can make a few quid."

The statue, which is of two young children, is only worth about £40, but it has significant sentimental value to the family.

“She (Felicity) cried when Dylan, her big brother, told her,” said Mrs Watkins.

“I think it hurt her so much because it was the first outing they had in over a year and they saw the statue and they put their money together to get it.

“Dylan would tell her: 'That is me kissing you on the cheek Fizz because I'm so proud of you'”.

Felicity and her brothers

The “worst thing”, according to Mrs Watkins, is that the statue was taken while Felicity was undergoing surgery in Cardiff on Monday.

Mrs Watkins has taken to social media to ask if anybody has seen the statue in a garden or for sale and she has also notified the police.

The Watkins family has had issues with theft over the past two years.

Their specially modified van was broken into, their gazebo was trashed, Felicity’s garden gnomes were stolen and Alec Watkins (Felicity’s father) had his tools stolen.

Most notably, a charity box for Felicity was stolen from a local fish and chip shop last year.

Mrs Watkins said: “We worry about leaving the house empty for the day.

“My eldest son won't open his bedroom window at night and he is on the top floor because he is so scared someone will come in and steal his toys.

“We don't have much money but managed to scrape enough together to hopefully prevent anything else being taken.

Frances and Felicity Watkins

“We just feel upset and down about it all really.

“I want whoever is stealing all this to maybe just think about who they are hurting”.

Information can be reported to police on 101.