A TERMINALLY-ill woman has been left without her ‘lifeline’ after cruel thieves stole her car.

The woman is without transport despite needing treatment and has urged those responsible to think about their actions.

The victim, who is in her 50s and whose identity is being protected by the Malvern Gazette, was told just four weeks ago that she had incurable breast cancer.

Still coming to terms with this, her problems were exacerbated when her prized Nissan Sunny car was stolen from Cotswold Road in Malvern.

She used the vehicle to get to weekly appointments at St Richards Hospice and to Breast Cancer Haven in Hereford where she receives complementary therapy. She is also waiting to hear if she is eligible for treatment from Cheltenham hospital, which will mean regular visits.

She said: ”The car gave me some amount of control over my life despite facing this terminal, incurable, illness. It was my lifeline.

“I have lost my independence and this means I am having to rely even further on my friends than I did before.

“As well as getting me to the appointments at St Richard’s and Haven, it enabled me to be part of the community. Now I have to plan ahead for everything. Because I live at the bottom of a hill even going shopping is a problem now in my weakened state.”

The former teaching assistant and youth worker was diagnosed after visiting various hospitals in Birmingham after seeking a second opinion under the Patient Choice programme.

She added: “I was first diagnosed with cancer five years ago and a friend gave me this car to get me to appointments. It was a good quality car and never let me down. Because I have always been on a low income I have never been able to afford anything new.

“The crux is that I will get a small amount of insurance but it won’t get me another vehicle of such quality, unless my luck changes.

“I would like to make the person or people responsible realise what impact their actions can have. What may have been a split-second decision has consequences that will last much longer, not just for me but for others too.”

The Nissan Sunny Sequel, registration number M589 ABP, was taken between 9pm Thursday, November 26 and 10.15am on Friday, November 27. It is blue/green in colour.

Porcha Treanor, press officer for West Mercia Police, said: “We will be making checks on the victim because of her personal situation to see she is alright. We are also appealing for witnesses. Anyone who saw the theft or knows of the whereabouts of the car should call us on 0300 333 3000 quoting incident number 176S/271109 or anonymously at Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.”

* Can you help in any way? Please contact the Malvern Gazette newsdesk on 01905 742224.