Last weekend, an Auckland mum appealed to the public to help locate a family heirloom that her husband accidentally gave away while clearing out their house in Belmont.

“Please return my daughter's Doll's House - recently collected from Eversleigh Rd. Her Dad threw it out without permission,” Rachel Rogan posted on her local Facebook page.

“Really sorry to those ladies who collected it... but please may we ask for it back?”

It turns out the item has a remarkable history: the dollhouse was secretly built by pilots during World War II.

While training as an RAF pilot in the South Island, the husband’s grandfather enlisted the help of other trainees to build the miniature house. They stole bits of wood from the workshop, using them to create the home and tiny pieces of furniture for it.

The masterpiece was named Patricia’s Doll’s House after the daughter he feared he might not see again after going to war.

The dollhouse had been in storage for about a decade. Photo from RNZ.​

Rogan’s daughter broke down in tears when she discovered her dad had given it away. According to Rachel, her daughter had hoped to pass it down one day.

“The reason we want it back is not because of how beautiful it is or anything like that, it's because of who made it and who they made it for and the fact it was this symbol of love and hope and just something that could be fun for other people to play with, but it will never have the value for other families as it does to ours,” said Rachel.

It was an honest mistake, and the Rogan family really wanted it back. Thankfully, a couple reached out, saying they had the doll’s house.

“[The man] said that friends of his wife gave it to them a few days ago, and he said he was looking at the paint and thinking ‘that must be pretty old, it’ll be a mission to sand it back’,” Rachel said.

“And he said that he was reading the news and thought ‘I wonder if this is the same one as in the story.’ That’s when Mel got in touch with me on Messenger and sent a pic.”

The couple who lives in Torbay, Northern Auckland, has confirmed that they did have the Rogan family’s doll’s house and insisted on bringing it back on Saturday night.

“I feel very humble, very grateful and very amazed at how much kind-heartedness has come out of the woodwork, so to speak,” Rachel said, remembering how she can’t stop smiling beneath her mask.

“It’s going to be a bugger of a thing to sand back, but if I start now, I might have it ready for generations four and five.”


How’s that for a heartwarming story, folks?

 

[Fat&fancy]

Christmas miracle as family gets back priceless heirloom after it was mistakenly given away​

Last weekend, an Auckland mum appealed to the public to help locate a family heirloom that her husband accidentally gave away while clearing out their house in Belmont.

“Please return my daughter's Doll's House - recently collected from Eversleigh Rd. Her Dad threw it out without permission,” Rachel Rogan posted on her local Facebook page.

“Really sorry to those ladies who collected it... but please may we ask for it back?”

It turns out the item has a remarkable history: the dollhouse was secretly built by pilots during World War II.

While training as an RAF pilot in the South Island, the husband’s grandfather enlisted the help of other trainees to build the miniature house. They stole bits of wood from the workshop, using them to create the home and tiny pieces of furniture for it.

The masterpiece was named Patricia’s Doll’s House after the daughter he feared he might not see again after going to war.

The dollhouse had been in storage for about a decade. Photo from RNZ.​

Rogan’s daughter broke down in tears when she discovered her dad had given it away. According to Rachel, her daughter had hoped to pass it down one day.

“The reason we want it back is not because of how beautiful it is or anything like that, it's because of who made it and who they made it for and the fact it was this symbol of love and hope and just something that could be fun for other people to play with, but it will never have the value for other families as it does to ours,” said Rachel.

It was an honest mistake, and the Rogan family really wanted it back. Thankfully, a couple reached out, saying they had the doll’s house.

“[The man] said that friends of his wife gave it to them a few days ago, and he said he was looking at the paint and thinking ‘that must be pretty old, it’ll be a mission to sand it back’,” Rachel said.

“And he said that he was reading the news and thought ‘I wonder if this is the same one as in the story.’ That’s when Mel got in touch with me on Messenger and sent a pic.”

The couple who lives in Torbay, Northern Auckland, has confirmed that they did have the Rogan family’s doll’s house and insisted on bringing it back on Saturday night.

“I feel very humble, very grateful and very amazed at how much kind-heartedness has come out of the woodwork, so to speak,” Rachel said, remembering how she can’t stop smiling beneath her mask.

“It’s going to be a bugger of a thing to sand back, but if I start now, I might have it ready for generations four and five.”


How’s that for a heartwarming story, folks?

So pleased they got it back! sentimental value for sure, cannot put a price on that.