"I am devastated": Disabled boy's modified tricycle stolen
A tricycle that has been modified to service a child with severe disabilities has been stolen from his front yard, just days after he received it.
Mayer Dow, a 12-year-old boy who lives with Coffin-Lowry Syndrome, had waited years for the custom-designed piece of equipment, only for it to be stolen from his place in Melbourne.
"I am devastated," Mayer's mother Rosalie told 9News.
"I really don't understand. I understand desperate people do desperate things."
The tricycle was specifically designed for Mayer's special needs, as using it is the only exercise he gets aside from using his walking frame.
Rosalie said it took years of special requests and paperwork to get him the trike, making it useless to the thieves as it has been heavily customised to meet Mayer's needs.
After being diagnosed with Coffin-Lowry Syndrome, a rare disorder which affects his intellectual and physical development, Mayer was unable to take part in simple childhood activities like riding a bike, until he received his tailor-made tricycle.
"He is extremely excited because he's seen other people riding a bike and he's never had the capacity," Rosalie said.
The devastated mother said she simply wants the tricycle returned, as the theft has been reported to Victoria Police.
Image credits: 9News