A Prince George mother is reaching out to the public after a thousand dollars worth of medical items and possessions were stolen from her disabled son.
Frances Daniels was at the New Life Centre last Tuesday evening with her son Harold Tait to help make meals and hand out food, which they do together frequently. During the preparations, Harold’s backpack was stolen.
The bag contained his wallet, his vehicle FOB (for his caregiver to get him to appointments), his camera, and a number of necessary medical items including multiple breathing tube inner cannulas, which have to be changed out a few times a day in order for him to breathe.
All together Daniels estimates, with having to replace the FOB and her home locks, the loss will cost them between $1200-$1500.
Harold was injured in a terrible vehicle collision in 2011 that left him paralyzed, unable to speak and with a brain injury. Through much trial and tribulation, he has since learned to walk again but is still non-verbal and needs a caregiver around the clock.
His mother told MyPGNow the situation makes her emotional.
“This has really affected my husband and myself because we do a lot for the street people. To have his bag stolen… and they know us quite well. We weren’t really keeping an eye on it, being trusting, and we always have it up front with our bible bag.”
Daniels said her family has been a part of the New Life Centre community since 2013 and they know most people who frequent there.
“Everybody who knows us knows his backpack is his medical backpack because they see us using it change his breathing tube all the time,” said Daniels.
“His wallet was in there, and it didn’t have any important ID’s, but he had about $40 or $50 in there he was going to put into the church offering because he dances when he goes to the service.”
“Our son, he loves to dance for the Lord. He’s been out of the wheelchair now for about four years and ever since he’s been out, it doesn’t matter what church he is in, he’s dancing. That’s his prayer.”
The loss is particularly hard to bounce back from for the family, who had to relocate from the 500 km from Kitwanga to Prince George for Harold’s medical treatment.
“We sold everything we had. We’ve come here with the clothes on our back,” said Daniels.
She reached out to the ‘Stolen Prince George’ Facebook page to see if anyone in the community had seen the bag but has not been able to locate it.
Prince George RCMP confirmed that a report had been filed and they were investigating into the matter, but they hadn’t found anything as of this publication.
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