A MUM was left upset and disgusted after she discovered part of the baby garden at Fox Covert Cemetery had been vandalised near to her daughter's grave.

Vicki Vero, from Orford, has been struggling to come to terms with the death of her daughter Heidi Jane in October 2014.

She said: "I had to deliver Heidi at 18 weeks as she had less than five per cent brain development.

“The only area of the brain that had grown was only enough to make her heart pump.

"The doctors said she wouldn't have been aware of the fact she had been born.

“She wouldn’t have been able to move her fingers or toes, had no bladder control and would never open her eyes.

"Alongside that she also had spina bifida and hydrocephalus so when I delivered her she was only breathing for 47 minutes.

"We were able to keep her with us for 18 hours to spend some quality time with her and so our families could meet her too.”

It has been a difficult few years after Heidi’s tragic death.

In recent weeks, the 26-year-old has found it difficult to visit the cemetery in Appleton. 

"I have been struggling to visit her grave," said 26-year-old Vicki, who has organised a number of fundraisers in her daughter's memory.

"It's around the time that we found out that her brain had not developed and it's her birthday coming up.

"But I felt strong enough to go yesterday."

After finding the courage to visit her daughter's grave, Vicki along with her husband Scott and youngest son travelled to the cemetery to pay their respects.

But the couple were shocked to discover the vandalism – in particular the damage to the hut and discarded plastic bags and cigarette stubs.

"This is the last thing we want to see when we go to visit our daughter," said Vicki.

"It was upsetting.

"My son was toddling around and my other son likes to eat his lunch up there.

“It’s so disrespectful.

“It’s absolutely disgusting that people think it’s acceptable to sit in a baby garden at the cemetery smashing the hut up and smoking drugs.”