Who steals a kid’s bike? Well, a jerk does. Charlotte Luther, a 12-year-old girl from California, recently had her specially made adaptive tricycle stolen–which obviously devastated her. Charlotte has limited mobility as a result of a surgical procedure she underwent to remove a brain tumor.
Cate, Charlotte’s mom, told ABC that “this was the first bike she’s ever had where she could actually ride it. She had this smile on her face, a sense of independence. She was just loving it.” The bike, of course, wasn’t cheap either–it cost about $4,000, which was bought by using donation money through their fundraising page with the Great Bike Giveaway. Clearly, this bike meant a lot to Charlotte.
Sadly, the bike was lifted by a thief while Charlotte was in the hospital last week. Naturally, Care reported it, but she didn’t have hope of ever seeing it again. Thankfully, the police officer, Officer Dan Fachner of the Antioch Police Department, made it his personal goal to find it.
And find it he did. Apparently, a local woman saw a man riding around on the bike. It turned out to be 24-year-old Matthew Jefferson, who reportedly was in jail last week. I’m glad that Charlotte’s situation has a happy ending, considering she’s already gone through enough–although having your bike stolen isn’t OK regardless of one’s health. But it feels even worse when it’s hurting a kid who can’t easily get a new one, because of their special needs.
Let this be a reminder that we can all be a helpful stranger–and make someone’s life a little easier.
