An Airdrie family is hoping the public will be able to help after their vehicle was stolen with a wheelchair inside of it.

The theft occurred on Tuesday morning in Sagewood. Lisa Joshua said her parents Don and Terry Pye were both at home when their garage door was opened around 4:00 am. According to her father, it was a matter of seconds before the thief took off with the 2003 Hummer.

“They heard the garage door open and when they looked out the window they saw a man that had run into the garage. In a very short period of time, they drove out of the garage with the vehicle,” Joshua relayed.

Inside the vehicle was Terry’s wheelchair. She has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It’s a progressive disease affecting the lungs and impacts a person’s ability to breathe. Because of the disease, Terry has very limited mobility. Joshua said the wheelchair allowed her mom a bit of freedom and the loss hit hard.

“When my mom has a good day where she’s able to come downstairs, my dad will take her out for a drive just around the city just so that she can get outside and have a change of scenery because otherwise, she’s fairly bed-ridden,” explained Joshua. “It’s that one opportunity for her to get outside and take in everything that’s going on around Airdrie.”

Don's wallet and some of Terry's healthcare documents were also in the vehicle which had been locked inside the garage. The theft was reported immediately to the RCMP. Joshua said they were told the thieves likely targeted the Hummer because their other car, which was parked in the driveway, was untouched.

The family is hoping to be able to recover the vehicle and the wheelchair for Terry.

UPDATE: the family says the received a call around 3:00 pm from RCMP informing them they had caught the individuals and recovered the vehicle and the wheelchair. They are grateful for the outpouring of support and are thankful RCMP were able to recover Terry's wheelchair.

 

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