Wheelchair For Boy With Cerebral Palsy Stolen In Lawrence
LAWRENCE (CBS) - Police are looking for a suspect or suspects who stole an 8-year-old's wheelchair from the family's front yard in Lawrence on Wednesday.
Heeclif de la Rosa's 8-year-old son Isaiah has cerebral palsy. He can't sit, stand or walk, and the very thing he needs the most was stolen from him: his wheelchair.
"I cant beleive anyone would do this. We are parents who do anything we can for him and this just hurt us," said Isaiah's mom Meilene Velazquez.
When WBZ-TV initially ran the story Thursday evening, all Isaiah had left is his broken wheelchair, which he also out-grew. The one that was stolen is the one the family used to transport him in everyday.
"You have to think someone needs it to get around. So it's pretty hard to think someone would blatanly come up and take it," said Heeclif.
WBZ-TV's Paul Burton reports
Without Isaiah's custom wheelchair, Heecliff needed to carry him around wherever they went.
"Obviously, as you can see, he's a pretty heavy kid and without the wheelchair we cant do anything," said Heeclif.
Fortunately, that all changed in a matter of hours after the story aired. The family called to say a number of people had already offered to help replace the $3,000 custom wheelchair. They say they are grateful for the help.
Right now police say they're looking for any leads in the case.
"There were no witnesses to it... Likely someone came by saw it and took it and we're thinking that might be the case. We had officers check the immediate area," said Lawrence Police Chief John Romero.
Isaiah has already missed two days of school and three therapy sessions, which he desperately needs. His family hopes to get him back to class as soon as possible.
"How could you do it? you don't have a heart. this is a kids chair," said Meilene.
