Family Of Little Girl Whose Wheelchair Was Stolen Sets Up GoFundMe Page
ELIZABETH, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- The family of a little girl whose wheelchair was stolen has set up a donation page in her name.
Four-year-old Peyton Verio's mother said it was stolen from the family's front porch, and now the search is on for a thief.
As CBS2's Ali Bauman reported, Peyton is a pretty happy child from Elizabeth, but she has cerebral palsy which has left her bound to a wheelchair.
On Tuesday, that wheelchair was stolen.
"That stroller is Peyton's life. It's her every day need," her mother, Yasmeen Wellington said.
Wellington said she left the wheelchair inside the gate at her family's home on Second Street near Jackson Park at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
The chair is bulky so she keeps it outside during visits with Peyton's cousins so they don't get hurt. Three hours later, the $3,000 chair was gone.
"She instantly knew. She started screaming. It took 15 minutes or so to calm her down," Wellington said.
Yasmeen said the only part of the wheelchair left behind was the cover -- which without the wheelchair is pretty useless.
"Careless, heartless they obviously don't care. They don't care what the family has to go through, what the child had to go through," she said.
Peyton's chair was custom-made to fit her body, and special needs. She has been using a lender chair from her school for the past few days, but it leaves her in a slump.
"Comes with a head rest here, and side pieces to keep her in," her mother said.
Elizabeth police are investigating. For now, the happy little girl has to without her very important ride.
The children's specialized hospital where Peyton got her first wheelchair is working with the family to order a replacement.
To donate to Peyton's GoFundMe page, CLICK HERE.
