The family of a special needs boy is celebrating after his stolen wheelchair was recovered and returned to them by the police.
According to police records, the family experienced a house burglary incident in the early hours last Saturday. The heartless thieves allegedly did not take anything from inside the property. Instead, they stole the family vehicle, which contained a specially-adapted wheelchair that belongs to their 6-year-old son Kyle, who was born with cerebral palsy. In other words, the chair is specially adapted to fit Kyle’s posture.
“The thieves got into the house and had a walk around downstairs which has all his equipment,” Rory, the child’s father, said. “They passed a laptop, an expensive TV, lots of valuable items and just grabbed the car keys.”
Kyle’s parents were left devastated as they had to tell Kyle what had happened.
“The wheelchair is Kyle’s legs and mobility; it’s his independence,” Rory said. “For a kid that’s already disabled, to take that off him is a real kick in the stomach.”
Furthermore, the family has also shared the tragic news on their Facebook page Kyle’s Wish To Walk.
In surveillance footage taken inside the family’s house showed how the burglars loitered around. The video even shows a close-up of one of them who spots they are on camera and covers his face.
Moreover, Rory says that with all of the equipment downstairs, it should have been obvious to the thieves that a special needs kid lives in the house.
“There’s a sign on the back of the car that says ‘disabled child on board’,” Rory said. “So before they even stepped foot inside they’d have realized who it belonged to.”
Thankfully, Gardaí have now confirmed that the car and all of its property – including Kyle’s wheelchair – has been returned. They said it is “on its way back to its rightful owner”.
Meanwhile, his parents had said if it was not returned, it would take a number of weeks to replace.
Gardai thanked those who re-tweeted their appeal and for the public’s assistance with the recovery of the stolen items.
