Life-saving 'pen' theft angers grandfather | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

A Napier grandfather has been left seething after a person he described as "some low-life" stole his 7-year-old granddaughter's purse which contained her life-saving self-injecting adrenalin kit.

Laura Abel is highly allergic to nuts of any sort, even the aroma of peanut butter can cause her to become ill.

"On a scale of five she is a five," her grandfather Malcolm said.

The youngster had gone with family members to Westshore Beach last Sunday to spend some fun time with her junior lifesaving group, and left her little silver and lilac handbag on the beach as she went running and swimming.

Her father, Nathan Abel, said along with other children, she left her bag under a tree.

"She took that bag everywhere with her because she had to."

The bag contained two $160 self-injecting adrenalin Epi-pens she has to have with her at all times should she be in contact with any form of nuts. Her condition was so extreme she could not even touch the hand of anyone who had a peanut butter sandwich even up to eight hours earlier.

The family even had to be wary if anyone in her presence had eaten something with satay sauce.

"Even the aroma can set a reaction off," Mr Abel said.

When the youngster returned and found her small handbag was missing from her main bag she burst into tears.

It had been at the top of the bag, and may have attracted someone to steal it, thinking there could be money or a cellphone inside.

But as Mr Abel said, there was something more valuable than that in the small handbag.

"She was shattered, she knows what it means. She takes it very seriously," he said.

Family members looked everywhere, even rubbish bins, but came up empty-handed.

The loss was heightened by the fact Epi-pens were not subsidised and many pharmacies did not have them in stock because of the cost and their relatively short expiry date (they last about a year).

Mr Abel had to rush to a doctor to get a prescription for two crucial replacements and ended up spending almost $400 that was not budgeted for. As the Epi-pens had to be brought in from Palmerston North, Laura missed her first day back at school as she could not take the risk coming into contact with someone who had eaten, or been in contact with, nuts or peanut butter.

In Australia, where they shifted back to Napier from last year, Epi-pens, as they are effectively life-saving devices, are subsidised and available for about $14.

Laura's granddad's advice to the thief was: "Be a real person and hand it in."