Auckland mum Tania Ranby’s desperate plea after baby’s headstone disappears

The headstone of a baby who died at birth 23 years ago has vanished, prompting a desperate online plea from his mum - who also lost her baby’s twin brother two years ago.

Three years after Luke Ranby was stillborn in 2000 his grandmother bought a small granite headstone to honour his loss, with a Thomas the Tank Engine image engraved on its right and an inscription that noted his “soul is half of [twin brother] Liam’s … be forever his twin guide”.

Luke didn’t have a heart so it was Liam’s that pumped blood for both while they were in the womb. Tragically, Liam Ranby died of a brain aneurysm 11 days after his 21st birthday in 2021.

After her surviving son’s death Tania Ranby had a combined headstone made for the brothers, and then removed Luke’s original headstone so it could be incorporated into a framed garden for the brothers’ shared grave.

The small, granite headstone made for Luke Ranby three years after his stillbirth in 2000 has disappeared.

Her neighbour in Makora Rd, in the West Auckland suburb of Massey, is an engineer and offered to build the garden.

But sometime on Monday, Luke’s headstone disappeared from her neighbour’s property, Ranby said.

She believed it was stolen.

“It’s unbelievable. I just don’t understand why somebody would do that.”

Tania Ranby and her daughter Arnika unveil the combined headstone for their sons and brothers Liam and Luke Ranby. Liam died in October 2021 aged 21, his twin Luke was stillborn in 2000. Luke's original gravestone was stolen from an Auckland property this week.

A towel had also disappeared from her neighbour’s property, which she believed was used to wrap the headstone.

The neighbour’s flat was at the back of an unoccupied house and she had no idea why someone would target it, Ranby said.

There were no family issues over the headstone, she said.

She was unwell today so hadn’t reported the headstone’s disappearance to police but planned to do so this afternoon. Her Facebook post about its disappearance had already been shared more than 80 times.

If the headstone wasn’t returned she’d accept it as something that was “meant to be”, but that didn’t mean its loss didn’t hurt.

“Liam grew up visiting his brother .. that’s the headstone he would go and see,” Ranby said, fighting back tears.

“I just feel really sad and perplexed. If you have it, please return it or drop it off somewhere where it can be found. It would mean a lot to us to get it back.”

Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.