The Hawke's Bay community and beyond have stepped up to help a child that had his birthday money stolen during a car break-in in Napier.
Melita Martin, mother of 7-year-old "miracle child" Giovanni Taurima, who was born with hormone deficiencies and had brain surgery aged 2, had a window of her car smashed and belongings stolen outside her Onekawa home on Tuesday morning.
Martin, who has lived on Alamein Cres for nearly three years without trouble, said her son was distraught to find his birthday money was taken.
But, after offers to reimburse her child from both sides of the Tasman, the mother and son said their faith in humanity had been restored.
"All the coins for parking meters and my seven-year-old son's wallet had been taken and Giovanni was bawling his eyes out when we told him," she said.