A mother-of-four is appealing for help after her 10-year-old son, who requires regular surgery, lost a cherished toy on a train between London and Bristol.
George Fawkes has Floating-Harbor syndrome, an extremely rare genetic disorder and has been crushed by the loss of his cuddly kangaroo, his constant companion to and from hospital appointments and surgeries.
He dropped the toy on a train while travelling to Bristol Children’s Hospital with his mother on 16 November.
The toy kangaroo has George’s name sewn into its back and has a tail and faded boxing gloves.
“George was born unexpectedly in Australia and his father bought the kangaroo for him then, from a little shop in Sydney,” Gilda Fawkes, his mother, told The Independent.
She said that although her son was now 10, he had a developmental age of “around six or seven”, making the kangaroo all the more important to him.
Ms Fawkes, a full-time carer, said she had slept a little on the train and did not immediately realise the toy was missing.
“I got off the train at Bath Spa, where we wanted to go and look at the Christmas lights,” she said.
“I looked in the bag and couldn’t find [the] kangaroo.”
George had accidentally dropped the toy on the train.
“He’s been really upset,” Ms Fawkes said. ”It is his constant, trusted companion when we travel.
“He has asked everyday where [the] kangaroo is and in his head he thinks it’s bouncing his way back to him.”
The family travels frequently between hospitals in Britain, Singapore and Australia due to the rarity of George’s genetic disorder, both for treatment and to assist with medical research.
George’s cuddly toy has crossed continents with him and his mother always places it beside him after each of his operations.
Ms Fawkes contacted Great Western Railway and the company told her the lost property section at Bristol Temple Meads train station received thousands of items a day.
“We do have a spare one but it looks new and shiny and he doesn’t want to play with it,” she said.
George’s next surgery has been delayed until after Christmas due to the loss of the toy.
“It does have a knock on effect,” Ms Fawkes said.
“I don’t know if he’ll want to go into hospital without it. He was on a feeding tube and is now just learning to eat but he hasn’t been eating or sleeping very well for a week now.
“It’s heartbreaking, really.”
Ms Fawkes is offering a reward for the safe return of the toy.
