Fundraising starts to replace teenage girl’s stolen adaptive tricycle

WATCH: A teenager from Victoria with cerebral palsy is holding out hope of getting her stolen tricycle back. It was taken out of her backyard Saturday. Now a GoFundMe page has been started to buy her a new one. Luisa Alvarez tells us more.

A woman is trying to help the family that had a specially made tricycle for a teenage girl stolen on the weekend in Victoria. Thirteen-year-old Kailey Joinson has a mild form of cerebral palsy and is weaker on her left side. The bike was adapted for her.

“The bike is extremely important with her balance she is unable to ride a two-wheeler she has full function of her right side however her left side is quite a bit more of a struggle to grasp onto handlebars properly,” said Kara Jacobsen Kaylie’s mother. 

Stefanie Dolan has started a GoFundMe page to bring a new bike for Kailey, whose tricycle was her main source of transportation.

“We are so touched that somebody that doesn’t know us would start this to help her out knowing how extremely important this bike is to her day to day life and activities and her freedom to be a typical kid,” said Jacobsen. 

Victoria police said the tricycle was stolen from an Oaklands home between 11 p.m. and 12 a.m. Saturday night.

“I was sort of disappointed and sad because like why would somebody steal my bike?” said Kailey. 

Jacobsen says it’s as heinous as somebody stealing someone’s wheelchair because for Kailey it’s extremely important to her independence and freedom. 

The tricycle is described as customized light blue, three-wheeled tricycle with “white wall” style tires, a black seat and several small rust spots.

It’s a three-speed bike with the gears and brakes on the right-hand side.

Dolan is trying to raise $750 dollars through GoFundMe and says she has connected with a couple with a similar bike which they posted for sale and have put on hold for the teenager.

Police said a neighbour reported seeing a suspect with the tricycle in the Oaklands area.

The suspect is described as a Caucasian man in his 20s, wearing baggy clothes and a baseball hat.

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