A woman dying of lung cancer is making a desperate appeal to thieves who stole a laptop with precious farewell messages to her five children.

Marisol Turcios, heavily medicated and sometimes incoherent, is hoping the computer -- which contains irreplaceable videos she made for children when she dies -- will be returned.

Aside from the computer, the thieves took jewelry, perfume, cash and electronics from her apartment in east Montreal earlier this month.

"I'm heartbroken," she said from her palliative-care unit. "These (robbers) have no heart. If the person feels guilty, hopefully I'll get my laptop back."

Turcios saved the messages on a black Sony Vaio laptop after doctors told her that her cancer is terminal.

"I did it for my children," said Turcios, who has four girls and a boy aged seven to 18. "I want to leave them with memories."

The robbers didn't even spare her wallet, which contained her children's ID and $300. Another stash of several thousand dollars also disappeared.

Her ordeal began in April when she went to the doctor to complain about a severe cough. She was referred to a specialist, who floored her with the news that she had advanced lung cancer.

The cancer has since spread to her brain.

News of the theft spurred family and perfect strangers into action.

"I received a lot of help from people," said Turcios. "I would say $6,000 or $7,000 U.S. dollars to defray the funeral expenses."

A local cancer support charity also got involved in the hunt for her laptop, making media calls and soliciting tips online, said VOBOC Foundation spokeswoman Doreen Edwards.

"It's not the kind of thing we usually do, but we want to help," said Edwards.

In the meantime, Turcios is spending what might be her final weeks with her children.

"My oncologist told me that I might not have long to live," she said.