A MUM from York says she is “overwhelmed” by the messages of support she has received since a keepsake given to her by her daughter, who died in 2013, was stolen in a burglary.

Helen Race, 51, of Heworth, has pleaded with the burglars to return the small silver love heart, which her daughter Samantha, who was 16 at the time, gave her on Mother’s Day. Samantha died aged 27 due to complications that arose after she had heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI).

The heart-shaped trinket, about the size of a £2 coin, bears the words ‘Mum’ on one side and ‘Love you’ on the other.

Helen said she was “beyond devastated” that the keepsake had been taken and posted a video on Facebook urging the burglars to give it back.

Since then she has had hundreds of messages from well-wishers.

She said: “There is a gentleman who has offered to buy me a heart pendant and he wants a picture of my daughter so it can be engraved on it.

“There is a bereaved mums' group that have sent me a message about joining the group.

“The response has been phenomenal. I have had some lovely messages. I’m overwhelmed by the support and feedback.

“It is not what I did the video for. The fact people are taking time out to do that is just amazing.”

In addition, a woman from Richmond has offered Helen a stay in a B&B and to raise money to support her fundraising for the Take Heart charity. This would be used to buy a bench in memory of Samantha for a roof top garden at Leeds General Infirmary.

A woman has also offered to make her a decorative 'daughter to mum' love heart.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has messaged me,” Helen added.

Helen and her partner Keith Taylor, 64, of Glen Road, Heworth, woke up at around 5.30am on Friday morning to find the house had been burgled overnight.

She said the thieves stole three of her handbags and her purse containing cash, her debit and credit cards and the heart.

In one of the handbags was around £230 in cash that Helen had raised for the Take Heart charity to buy the memorial bench. During the burglary, Keith’s wallet was also stolen, which had cash and his debit and credit cards inside.