Tracy Herbert, from Chiltern Crescent, Worthing, is convinced the Me to You snowglobes were taken from the graves at Durrington Cemetery to pass on as Christmas presents.

Tracy's baby son, Riley, was stillborn at 22 weeks in March, 2006, and then son Ellis was stillborn in June last year, also at 22 weeks into her pregnancy.

The snowglobes, which both had grey bears inside, and said "special little boy" on them, were given to Tracy after the boys died.

Heartbreak

She said: "I was absolutely gutted and heartbroken when I saw they were missing.

"Me and my partner Nick had gone to the cemetery on Christmas Eve to take some flowers so they would be fresh for Christmas Day and noticed the snowglobes were missing.

"We cannot give them anything for Christmas other than make their graves look nice – and it's hard enough at Christmas without this happening."

Tracy, 26, added: "There were so many things on the graves they could have taken and they take these – I think they took them for Christmas presents.

"We haven't reported it to the police – I'm not sure we would even want those ones back now.

"My sister has bought us two new ones but we haven't put them up there in case they get stolen again."

Future hope

Tracy was this week due to have an operation at Worthing Hospital to try to resolve the reason behind the stillbirths.

She said: "When I had Riley, the doctors just thought it was one of those things and said it wouldn't happen again."

But when Tracy went into labour at 20-weeks with her second baby, the problem resurfaced.

Despite attempts to delay Tracy's labour and deal with the issue, she gave birth to her second stillborn baby 10 days later.

"It was the worst thing ever," said Tracy. "Just devastating."

Tracy added: "Even after my operation, we won't be trying for a baby straight away.

"They have said it won't happen again, but we have got to really prepare ourselves."


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