By Alesha Capone
A Tarneit father is heartbroken following a vandalism and theft in the children’s section at Werribee Cemetery.
Troy Wilson is a devoted parent to two boys with former partner Crissey, seven-year-old Braxton and his older brother Cooper, who came into the world stillborn.
“Cooper was born on the 26th of October 2011,” Mr Wilson said.
“A day I will cherish forever.
“I had wanted to be a doting dad for all of my adult life, so my heart and life was shattered.”
Mr Wilson said he regularly visited the final resting place of Cooper, whom he described as his “angel son”, at Werribee Cemetery.
While at the cemetery on February 11, Mr Wilson said he was devastated to see the items and small possessions he and other families have left on children’s burial sites had been strewn about.
“Mine are little matchbox cars, one for every birthday, [they were] scattered everywhere, it was absolutely heartbreaking,” he said.
“The whole row of all our little angel children had been vandalised. Nothing was in its place.
“These children didn’t even get the chance to start a life, and someone has decided that they are more entitled to the lovingly-placed possessions that heartbroken parents have left for them.”
Mr Wilson said the worst part was seeing that a jewellery box, which had been glued to the headstone of the boy buried next to Cooper, had been pried off and stolen.
He said the jewellery box had included some of the boy’s mothers ashes, and had been engraved with the words “Mother and Son. Together again”.
He said the jewellery box would be “worthless” to whoever stole it, but was incredibly valuable to the boy’s family.
Mr Wilson is appealing for information about the theft, or from anyone who may know the whereabouts of the jewellery box, in the hopes it can be returned to the gravesite.
He said that whoever stole the jewellery box should give it back.
“I don’t think people understand the sadness that this causes,” he said.
The 42-year-old tradie said the vandalism had brought him to tears.
“Some people have no heart at all,” he said.
Anyone with information about the theft of the jewellery box can contact Star Weekly at acapone@starweekly.com.au or on 8318 5753.
Any information received will be passed onto Mr Wilson.
