In the UK, a five-year-old boy with a disability was left devastated after cruel thieves stole his wheelchair.
The wheelchair ramp was taken from the kid’s family home in Stockton, Teeside during the early hours of the morning.
According to Teesidelive, the boy’s mother, Natalie Roberts, 28, was left angry and frustrated over the incident.
Natalie, who is a full-time mom-of-three and carer to the 5-year-old Harley, said that her disabled son needs a wheelchair to get in and out of the house.
Harley has cerebral palsy and walking is difficult for him.
Moreover, Natalie said that her son is still recovering from complex surgery carried out last May to improve his mobility, Teesidelive reports.
The mother was devastated to wake up on Saturday morning to find out that the wheelchair was gone.
Natalie said that without it, she had to lift Harley and his walking frame over the doorstep each and every time they go in and out of their home.
“It’s not that they have just taken a ramp away,” the devastated mother said. “They have taken his independence away. He’s just a five-year-old child.”
The 28-year-old then reported the theft to the police and put a social media post appealing for any information.
On Monday, Natalie was contacted by a woman who apparently bought the stolen wheelchair for £40 ($54) from an ad posted on Facebook’s Marketplace.
The woman saw Natalie’s social media post about the stolen wheelchair, so she proceeded to return it to the family immediately.
“It was really nice of them to buy it and return it and it is now back at the house,” Natalie said. “But they (the thieves) have still got what they wanted.”
“It’s appalling what they have done and I still hope the police can do something about it,” Natalie added. “These people should not be allowed to walk the streets.”
Meanwhile, Cleveland Police have confirmed that they are investigating the incident.
“Police received a report of a stolen wheelchair ramp from outside a property on Rosedale Gardens, Stockton, which happened overnight on Friday, October 8 into Saturday, October 9,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“Officers have logged a crime report and inquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information can call police on 101, quoting reference 171251.”