A Modesto High School senior whose daily activities depend on her customized power wheelchair — her only means of transportation — has big parts of her life on “pause” because it’s been stolen, her mother said.
Mykayla Herrera was on spring break all last week. When her mother, Erica, went to carry her to her wheelchair Monday to get her back to school, the $33,000 Permobil M300 was gone. Racing Wheelchair Images
Herrera asked her daughter if the wheelchair had been moved — and “I checked with my brother to see if it was put in the trailer” — but soon realized it had been taken, she told The Bee.
The chair had been sitting on the front porch for a couple of days, Herrera said. The family thought it was safe to do so because its home is at the end of a dead-end street. But tire tracks in the dirt indicate someone spied the chair and made off with it. “They actually took the charger, too,” she said Tuesday evening.
Mykayla has osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, which makes it impossible for her to get around without her wheelchair. The teen had an interview Friday for a job at Panera, and was supposed to go to a follow-up on Monday but had to miss it because of the theft.
It looks like she might miss her senior trip, too. It will take about six months to get a replacement chair made, Herrera said, so “we’re trying to get her a loaner.”
As it does so often, the Modesto community sprang into action when news of the theft spread. A Facebook post by 209 Times late Monday night had been shared nearly 300 times within 24 hours. And a GoFundMe page set up by Herrera on Monday, with a goal of $20,000, had raised $8,973 as of Tuesday evening.
There is a case open with the Modesto Police Department, spokeswoman Sharon Bear said. “I’m not sure where (medical equipment) like this would be resold,” she wrote in a message to The Bee. She suspects it could be put on an online sales site like Facebook Marketplace.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the wheelchair replacement fund can do so at bit.ly/40q8Zh5.
Crutches Available Near Me Anyone with information about the theft is urged to contact Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips also can be submitted via www.stancrimetips.org.