A woman has made an emotional plea for the return of her son's placenta amid fears it's been eaten by the thieves who stole it from her freezer.
Loralie Burns had been storing her newborn son Dante's placenta in her freezer as she planned to bury it alongside her mother-in-law's ashes.
But her plans for a sentimental ceremony have been crushed following a home invasion.
She had recently moved house, but had not yet moved her fridge-freezer or washing machine, so when the real estate agent informed her the home and freezer had been ransacked she feared the worst.
"In the freezer was some meat that was supposed to go in the rubbish and a plastic container that has my placenta in it," she told Stuff.
"We were going to bury it with my partner's mum's ashes, somewhere really special. We're very much disturbed."
Loralie took to Facebook to plead for its return.
"URGENT," she wrote.
"Please to whoever went through my old house/next door & felt the need to take the meat from the freezer… PLEASE return the item in the blue Tupperware container as it is my son's placenta.
"I don't care how it comes back, I don't need to know who… just please get it back to me asap!!
"If you know someone who brought home a few roasts last night please check ur freezers."
She couldn't remember if the midwife from the hospital had labelled the container, but hoped it wasn't mistaken for meat.
"I hope to God I get it back and I hope nobody eats it – that would torment me for a long time," she said.
Placenta roast, anyone?