In the early hours of May 7, Kim Dunn discovered that her daughter’s custom bicycle had been stolen.
It was taken from the Dunn family’s front lawn on Martindale Mews in the city’s northeast.
Dunn felt scared, upset, and violated.
She said that Calgary Police told her that the thief “must have known [the bicycle] was there.”
The bicycle was often left in the backyard, but happened to be chained up in front the night before.
Dunn’s 12-year-old daughter Trinity used the bicycle. She was diagnosed with Type 1 Glucose Transporter Deficiency Syndrome, a rare disease that only affects 1 in 900,000.
The disease affects Trinity’s balance and motor functions, and also causes seizures. The specially-designed bicycle was a source of independence for the young girl.
The bicycle was on loan from Cerebral Palsy Kids and Families, a local non-profit organization, as part of their Adapted Bike Program.
It would have also difficult to steal, as the number of wheels and weight of the bicycle would have made it difficult to manoeuver.
Dunn suggested they may have used a truck, but she doesn’t know for certain.
While devastating, the theft was also unusual. In place of her daughter’s bicycle, a regular bike was left.
“That was the weirdest thing,” Dunn said.
Community comes together for Trinity’s new bike
The community of Martindale quickly banded together to find the bike.
“My neighbour two doors down spent a good hour that morning driving around looking for it,” she said.
But the most help would come from someone a little farther away in the community of Malborough.
Teena Provost said she was “heartbroken” when she came across the news of the theft.
After seeing a tweet from the Calgary Police, she reached out to offer a replacement bicycle.
Yesterday, Provost was able to get in contact with Dunn, and she offered to donate her son’s unused custom bicycle. He also has specific physical needs, but has since outgrown the bicycle and no longer uses it.
“To me, it’s like paying it forward,” she said
“We’re not using the bike, so it should go to somebody that could actually use it.”
Provost said that the only difference she could see between the stolen bike and her sons are the pedals. Her son needed custom wooden platform pedals to strap his feet to.
The bicycle will be taken to the Dunn home tomorrow for Trinity to test out.
“[Trinity is] very excited,” Dunn said.
“She can’t wait to start riding again.”
The stolen bicycle has yet to be found, and Dunn said that the police and the community are still keeping an eye out for it. It needs to be returned to Cerebral Palsy Kids and Families.
