Outpouring of community support comes after girl's pink wheelchair is stolen

APPLE VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- A community in Apple Valley has come together to support a 5-year-old girl whose custom pink wheelchair was stolen from her family's truck.

Ileeya Tavera has no idea who would want to steal her bright pink wheelchair, but last week someone took the wheelchair from the back of the truck that was parked outside their apartment.

Ileeya's mother, Eileen Tavera, admits that she forgot to lock the car.

"You would think, 'who want to steal from a child?' It was devastating," she said.

Ileeya was born with a rare birth defect that affects her hips. She had a portion of her left leg amputated and walked with the help of a prosthetic leg. But she uses her wheelchair to get around from time to time.

"If we go to a place and we need to walk far, far away that means I need to use it and my family helps me sometimes," Ileeya said.

In the coming months, she will be using the wheelchair more frequently because her hip bone isn't growing correctly and Ileeya will need surgery. Her mother said after the surgery, she will be wheelchair bound for three to four months.

Ileeya's story has touched a nerve in the community after her mom posted about the theft on social media.

Resident April Atencio said she couldn't believe someone would steal from a child, especially one who needs the equipment.

Tony Adkins agreed.

"I think it's sad that the person who did this doesn't have the kind of heart to realize that that belongs to somebody that's really in need and special," he said.

The outpouring of support comes as a surprise to the family who wanted nothing more than to get the word out about the stolen wheelchair.

"It blew up just in that day, and the whole community wanted to help instantly," her father, Josh Tavera, said.