Thief steals 80 wheelchairs in Van Nuys headed to disabled children

VAN NUYS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Dozens of children around the world will not receive wheelchairs that were headed their way after thieves stole them in Van Nuys.

Global Mobility helps provide free wheelchairs to children and adults around the world, but its efforts were hampered when more than 80 new wheelchairs along with a truck were stolen late Tuesday night.

"We arrived at work to discover something was amiss and we realized our truck... was no longer here," Chris Grange, chief executive of Global Mobility said.

The nonprofit said the theft came at a cost of $12,000. Global Mobility said it was trying to pull resources from other projects to help, but said some children will not be able to receive a wheelchair now.

"Most of these wheelchairs that were taken were of the smaller variety, intended for children, and we were lacking in those smaller sizes," Grange explained. "A lot of the children who were going to be receiving those wheelchairs are not going to get them."

Grange shared the impact he witnessed after delivering a wheelchair to a 4-year-old girl Vietnam just two weeks prior to the theft.

"We talked to the mother and she, with tears going down her cheeks, was talking about the change in her life because they had to carry their little girl every place she went," Grange said.

If you would like to learn how you can help Global Mobility, click here.