Coleen Rooney has been left heartbroken after thieves stole her brother's laptop containing photos of their late sister Rosie. The devastated star took to Twitter to reveal that thieves broke into her brother's car and snatched his laptop while he was out and about in Speke, Liverpool. Coleen tweeted: "Please be aware off a lot of car break ins at @DLLSpeke ... my brother's car got done Sunday and they took a laptop containing sentimental photos of his son and my sister Rosie."
The timing of the theft is all the more painful for Coleen. It happened just days after the anniversary of Rosie's birthday; she would have celebrated turning 19 last week. Coleen paid tribute by sharing a photo of Rosie in her wheelchair and captioning it: "Happy Birthday to our Angel Rosie." Coleen's husband Wayne also posted a poignant photo of him cuddling Rosie. "Miss this face every day. Happy Birthday Rosie," the footballer wrote.
Exclusive: Coleen on keeping her children out of the spotlight
Coleen's sister Rooney passed away when she was 14
Of the break-in, a source told The Sun: "Coleen and her brother are devastated to lose the photographs of Rosie. The timing is difficult. It was her birthday last week and anniversary of her death last month. They are praying someone will turn in the laptop." Rosie sadly passed away in January 2013, a few weeks shy of her 15th birthday. The teenager died after a lifelong battle with Rett syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. She passed away at her home in Liverpool in the early hours of the morning, surrounded by her relatives. She had received treatment at Liverpool's Alder Hey Hospital and Claire House Children's Hospice in Wirral, Merseyside.
Coleen and Wayne paid tribute to Rosie on the anniversary of her birthday last week
Wayne gives fans a glimpse of family life in this sweet photo
At the time, Wayne and Coleen released a statement on behalf of their family. "Throughout her life, she brought so much love and happiness to all our family and everyone who knew and met her. She was such a strong little girl and an inspiration to us all," it read. "We shall cherish forever the memories we have shared and the love she showed us each and every day of her life. As a family we are heartbroken, but we are blessed to have had her in our lives."