Hole-in-heart girl pines for lost Bunny

Darcey Page has had Bunny since she was born. Photo / Jason Dorday

For every one of the dozens of medical tests 4-year-old Darcey Page has undergone in her tough little life, her floppy brown soft-toy Bunny has been through them too.

He's had blood tests and his heart listened to, and even undergone an electrocardiogram after Darcey was born 10 weeks premature and with a hole in her heart at Auckland City Hospital in 2010.

"Bunny always goes first," said Darcey's father, David Page. "He has been with her from her first day in intensive care - they are inseparable."

Darcey with her missing bunny.

But now, Bunny is missing.

The "balding" rabbit was mistakenly left behind at McDonald's in Botany on Thursday about 2pm and Darcey is inconsolable.

The St Heliers family - Mr Page, Darcey's mother Mandy and little brother Alexander, 2 - are doing all they can to help get Bunny back.

"I realise it must seem silly," said Mr Page. "And normally I'd just wait it out and think she will get over it. But this Bunny is a bit special and she's devastated at her first very real loss."

Mr Page said they had several other bunnies, including one identical to Bunny, for this exact reason, but Darcey was not fooled by the copy.

"She can smell him and touch him and knows that it's not the same one. There's been a lot of crying and sleepless nights."

Mr Page said that Bunny had been with Darcey since birth, including her 61 days in an incubator.

He had also gone to all of Darcey's appointments, acting as her "support person" at paediatric cardiology, audiology, endocrinology and speech and language therapy.

Bunny has the tests first to show Darcey not to be afraid, Mr Page said.

"It's quite sweet seeing senior clinicians putting a stethoscope on Bunny's chest. It can be very frightening for children and at times Darcey was very scared."

The family think another child may have picked up Bunny, and are happy to provide a replacement toy if he is returned.

McDonald's staff said the last sighting of the soft toy was about 6.30pm on Thursday, when he was sitting alone in the play area. By 7pm, he was gone.

The Pages have printed flyers to help with the search and have set up a Facebook page named "Bunny is Missing".

Can you help?
If you can help reunite Darcey and Bunny please email newsdesk@nzherald.co.nz