Outpouring of generosity for victims of wheelchair theft in Mayfair
MAYFAIR (WPVI) -- There has been an outpouring of support for the family of an 8-year-old boy whose wheelchair was stolen from outside his Mayfair home.
The custom chair is a necessity for Ryan Lewis, who has cerebral palsy.
"Thank you all so much. So much," said his mother, Meghan.
That was her message after the overwhelming support she has received since Action News first reported her story on Monday.
A thief swiped the $5,000 custom-fitted wheelchair on Saturday.
Meghan says since our story aired, people have been going out of their way to help any way they can.
"People were just handing me money left and right saying 'give this to your son, give this to your son,'" she said. "Me and my aunt are going to open an account for him on Friday and he'll have his own account and it'll be his money."
The manufacturer that made the wheelchair has already committed to replacing it free of charge. But since it was custom-fitted, the order will take several months to fill.
So, Meghan says people have been offering to donate interim wheelchairs, along with other medical equipment.
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 took it a step further. They contacted Meghan on Tuesday morning and offered to build a wheelchair ramp outside her home in Mayfair.
"She was really, really ecstatic and I just said, 'Let me get with our contractors and we're going to work on having a ramp constructed from her sidewalk to her front door," said Nicholas Denofa, VP of FOP Lodge 5.
Meghan says she is simply overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity she has experienced over the past 24 hours.
"There's a lot more nice people than mean people in this world. I will be the first person to testify to that," she said.
That wheelchair ramp should be installed within the next eight weeks.
Meanwhile, police are still looking for the person who stole the wheelchair. Anyone with information is asked to contact Northeast Detectives.
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