Parents of a premature baby who has spent her first months in intensive care said they are "heartbroken" and have "lost everything" after their family car was stolen from Royal Oldham Hospital car park.
Hannah Merry and Oliver Heginbotham have been together for eight years and welcomed their firstborn, Ophelia, on August 20 this year.
The little girl was born at just 27 weeks - months before her due date on November 17 - and weighing just 1lb and 3oz.
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Then, at two days old, the youngster was suddenly taken to Manchester Children's Hospital via ambulance out of fear she had developed an infection.
Hannah said the past six weeks have been "hard" as the pair have abandoned their home life to stay in nearby parent accommodation, spending every minute of the day possible with baby Ophelia.
Meanwhile, they've been juggling higher expenses - bills, food and premature baby items - all while enduring the emotionally draining toll of visiting their baby in an incubator on the neonatal intensive care unit.
The 26-year-old said: "It's been hard but at least we were across the road from her and we could see her all time. If anything happened, we were across the road.
"The fact that she is here and we can see her is just amazing. She's just amazing.
"We get up in the morning, go to the hospital, stay there all day and then we come home, eat, sleep, check on her by calling before bed, and then repeat the next day.
"We have had a miscarriage previously so she's even more important to us."
The baby was then moved back to Royal Oldham Hospital on Friday, October 6, as thankfully she made a recovery from her infection and has been managing to tolerate feeds.
However, mere days later on Sunday, October 8, the couple said their car - which contained essentials for the baby, all of Ophelia's newborn gifts, her first baby toy and other sentimental items, her birth certificate and even the couple's clothes - was suddenly taken from the hospital's car park.
Hannah said the pair were initially in "disbelief" when they couldn't find the red Fiesta.
The mum explained: "We were like, are we just too tired? Have we actually parked somewhere else?
"We had literally just come out and were so tired from the hospital.
"But then security said it had been stolen."
The couple were shown CCTV footage which apparently showed two men roaming the hospital car park with a special device before they managed to pop the boot on the couple's car and drove it away.
Hannah continued: "It's devastating. It's another thing for us to have to deal with.
"It's already been really, really tough - especially the first week, not being able to pick her up and not being able to do normal things that you do as parents like bring her home and learn how to be parents and just to be together.
"And feeding her from a tube.
"It's all really hard and it does take a toll on how you feel day to day because you just sit, looking at her through a plastic box and it's just horrible."
Now, the pair have lost their family car and still have to get to and from the hospital without it while hoping Ophelia makes progress to come home.
However, the parents said while the car is "obviously important", it's the loss of the sentimental things which are "more heartbreaking".
Hannah continued: "We just lost everything, everything that she owned and that had been given to us.
"Things that have been made for her to wear. Gifts that have been given to us. The tommee tippee steriliser.
"The octopus she held the first few days of her life when we couldn't hold her - we were absolutely gutted about that.
"It's just hard to get your head around."
The family had to scramble to get Ophelia items when she was born since she was so premature - and the items are vital for the youngster to be taken home and out of intensive care.
Items included things like special cardigans and hats for premature babies which would allow Ophelia to safely leave her incubator as the youngster will struggle to gain and keep heat.
Hannah continued: "We had just bought all of this premature stuff, and that's not cheap.
"Now we've got to buy it all again.
"I just hope that when (the thieves) see the teeny tiny clothes in there, that they feel an ounce of guilt.
"I doubt they will if they can steal from a hospital car park, but that's all I can hope. That they feel somewhat guilty."
While the pair do have a small car between them, it isn't suitable for their future family life together with it being too small to fit a pram and any other baby essentials.
Ophelia also isn't out of the woods yet as Hannah said she has to increase her weight to at least 1.8kgs and has to be able to manage her temperature outside of the incubator before she can go home for the first time.
The youngster also relies on respiratory oxygen - which will also need to come down - and has a patent foramen ovale, a hole in her heart, which will need to close up.
Hannah explained: "When she does come home, we'll have weekly appointments for her eyes because they haven't developed as they should and then we'll have checkups every three months for two years."
The pair are hoping they will get to take their little one home in time for Christmas, but haven't been given a rough estimate or date in mind to look forward to.
Hannah added: "I don't want to spend Christmas in the hospital - I will do, but it would be amazing to have her home for Christmas."
The first-time mum also said she's so grateful for her partner Oliver, who has had to take time off work with the "stress of it all" and so that they can be together and lean on another throughout the ordeal.
She added: "If I was doing all this on my own, I think I'd go a little bit insane."
Friends and family have since rallied around the couple and have issued appeals to trace the car and its contents as well as donating to the couple's fundraiser.
At the time of writing, their JustGiving page has already accumulated £500 in less than 24 hours.
Hannah said the funds will go towards replacing Ophelia's belongings and other important items taken from the car as well as helping them manage the day-to-day life of being at the hospital.
When contacted by The Oldham Times, Greater Manchester Police confirmed the car was reported stolen as of October 8.
A spokesperson for the force said CCTV is currently being reviewed from the hospital.
Donations can be made to Ophelia's fundraiser by searching JustGiving for 'Weʼre raising £500 to Support Ophelia, a NICU baby born at 27 weeks'.
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