Eastbourne kidney patient's distress after Christmas card charity tin taken

Jacqueline Walker, a dialysis patient, makes cards, including Christmas ones, to raise money for the National Kidney Federation.

But she said it made her cry when she discovered the donation box at the kidney treatment centre in Dittons Road, Polegate, had been stolen by someone on Friday or Saturday (November 16-17).

She said, “There was quite a bit of money in it. We are all gutted. They are home made, they are special, people were buying them. It’s a bit rough that they took a charity box.”

Mrs Walker started making the cards after the right side of her body lost all movement following a stroke.

She said, “It was therapy for me, one side of me was completely gone, I couldn’t move it to start with. It was to help me with the movement of my hand. I made so many.”

Other patients started to join in making the cards and gradually the donation tin was getting fuller and fuller.

“My success is my downfall,” she said, “There’s always that hope [the culprit] will think to themselves ‘it’s not good’.

“You never know I always hope for the best of people, you have go to, you’d be miserable otherwise.”

If you have any information about what happened contact Sussex Police at www.sussex.police.uk

The National Kidney Federation is a national kidney charity run by patients with kidney problems and their carers, for kidney patients.

If you would like to make a donation or find out more visit www.kidney.org.uk