It was late on Wednesday night when Purton returned to her Greerton home after medical appointments in Auckland. She and her children, 7, 9, and 15, went to bed. Her husband was at work.
When she woke the next day, her laptop containing the story of much of the battle she and her sister have had with the disease was gone. Two iPads were also taken from her children's bedrooms.
"It has kind of freaked me out. They've gone through the house. They've gone into the kids' rooms. But it could have been worse. They could have done anything, so I'm lucky in that way but ... it's disgusting," she said.
Purton believes the thief entered the house through a closed but unlocked door.
She desperately hoped the thief would have a change of heart and return the laptop.
"I don't care about anything else. You can replace all the other stuff. It's the memories and photos on there. More than anything, I want those back."
Purton and her sister have both had successful lung transplants and much of their journey had been captured and stored on the computer.
"Pretty much our whole life is on there," Purton said.
"There's everything from when the kids were born to before then, and everything with our transplants.
"It's freaky someone can just come in and take that."
Purton was yet to fully assess what other items were stolen but her main heartbreak was the loss of the laptop.
"If anything happened to me, it would be good for the kids to have those memories," she said.
A police spokesman said Purton's home appeared to have been burgled between 2am and 7am and a number of electronic items were taken.
If anyone saw anything suspicious in the Greerton area, they are asked to contact police on 07 577 4300 or offer anonymous information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Stay safe in your home
It's hot, and people want to leave open their doors and windows, which can be an invitation to burglars and thieves.
If you wake and find an intruder in your home: get out if you can then dial 111 and ask for police and listen to what police tell you. Don't try and catch the intruder or block their escape. If you have to act – yell or scream or blow a whistle.
Ideally, to keep yourself and your family safe, keep doors and windows secure and close curtains at night. It also pays to invest in good quality, secure locks.
Source - New Zealand Police
