A mum who lost her three-year-old daughter to cancer says she “broke down on the floor” after discovering her tot’s grave had been targeted by vandals.
Lilly Hudson was diagnosed with liver cancer in September 2017, just hours after her parents found a sudden lump on her belly.
Despite a brave battle to fight the disease, the cancer spread to Lilly’s lungs and brain before it led to her death in October 2018.
Six years later and Lilly’s mum, Lara Leyser, continues to visit her grave in Yalding, near Maidstone, most days to pay tribute to her “happy, hyper, outgoing, loving” girl.
Yet Lara’s latest trip to the cemetery on Thursday evening left her in shock after she found her daughter’s grave had been targeted by vandals.
A picture of the youngster placed there by her family was found with Lilly’s eyes cut and her hand-made picture stand seemingly kicked out of the ground.
Lara says discovering the damage at Yalding Cemetery, which is behind St Peter and St Paul’s Church in the village’s high street, was “heartbreaking”.
“I went into shock and broke down on her floor,” the Medway Avenue resident said.
“I always kiss Lilly when I go to see her, and when I leant on the floor that’s when I saw what happened.
“I just don’t understand why anyone would do this to my little girl’s grave.
“This shouldn’t be happening to anyone let alone a child so it’s just heartbreaking.
“Seeing the tribute to your daughter’s eyes gouged out with a knife, and to think about doing that to her beautiful face, is nothing short of disgusting.
“I spent the whole evening in tears and in disbelief, and it has just put me in bits because it’s absolutely horrific”.
Florist Lara, who has named her business Lilly’s Lillies in honour of her daughter, says the damage caused to the grave was not accidental.
The mum-of-two added: “I make the picture frames and they’re A-framed so they have a stand at the back of it.
“The actual stand which holds it up was just balancing on top of the the ground.
“So as it’s dug into it, it’s like it’s been kicked over because it doesn’t come out easily.
“It’s nowhere else on her grave, or on anyone else’s, so it’s clearly deliberate.
“The tribute frame was also vandalised in the past because we saw footprints on it.”
She also says she never expected something like this to occur in the village.
“You wouldn’t think this could happen in somewhere like Yalding as it’s such a lovely, peaceful area.
“This is why I wanted Lilly buried here, so I just can’t believe I walked up to this.”
