York mum’s emotional video goes viral after thieves steal precious memory of her daughter

Helen Race lost her daughter Samantha in 2013.

And now, after a robbery, she has lost an irreplaceable gift Sam gave to her before she died.

Thieves broke into Helen’s Heworth home overnight last Thursday (June 12) and stole several items, including some of Helen’s handbags.

They also stole a purse containing a silver heart. It was given to Helen by Sam on Mother’s Day, and had the word ‘Mum’ on one side and ‘I love you’ on the other.

Devastated, Helen posted a video appeal to the thieves on Facebook – asking them to return this precious and irreplaceable momento.

Since she put this live, the video has been seen more than 600K times.

She also posted this message:

This is an appeal to the low life scum that decided to rob us last night.

I couldn’t care less about the money or handbag or wallet you took. What I do care about is the small silver heart with ‘I love you Mum’ on that was in my purse.

To you it’s just a bit of tat but to me it’s priceless. That was given to me by my daughter a few years before she passed and I have carried it with me ever since.

As far as I’m concerned you may as well have come upstairs and finished me off – I feel beyond devasted at what you have taken from me. I hope you get bad luck for the rest of your life.

People responded with great kindness, and Helen has since posted: “Hi to all you wonderful people – I am overwhelmed by all your messages of love and support. I can’t thank you all enough for getting my post out.”

And two of her friends are offering a £125 reward for the return of the heart. If you have any information about the robbery, please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101.

Meanwhile Helen has launched a crowdfunding campaign to place a memorial bench for her daughter in the rooftop garden at Leeds General Infirmary, where she died in December 2013.

The campaign is to replace money already raised and taken in the robbery.