“What sort of person steals a wheelchair?”
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That’s the question that Kathleen Coates and her partner Mark Vervoort are asking themselves after someone stole Ms Coates’ fold-up manual wheelchair from their car earlier this month.
A degenerative spinal condition has left Ms Coates in constant pain and requiring a wheelchair or walker to move more than a few steps around their Delacombe home or outside in the community.
The loss of the wheelchair, worth $300 to $500, has also hampered her ability to get to vital medical appointments as she awaits spinal surgery that will hopefully halt the degeneration of her back.
“Stupid me forgot to lock my car and someone has come on to our property, left a bottle of grog and decided to go through the car for some reason,” Mr Vervoort said.
”I didn’t even know I left it unlocked and … I just can’t believe of all things they stole a wheelchair.”
The couple have borrowed a wheelchair from a relative, but it is too small and causes Ms Coates even more pain.
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The loss of the wheelchair is a massive blow to the couple, who are both on disability pensions and now face travelling to Melbourne for Ms Coates’ medical appointments and surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital after her doctor in Ballarat resigned from the hospital.
Ms Coates is waiting for a letter to tell her the date of her surgery in Melbourne.
“Kathy is waiting for an operation on her spine to relieve pressure of her muscles and tendons. Because the Ballarat doctor that could do the operation resigned, and with both of us on pensions, we can’t afford to go private, so now we’ve got to go to Melbourne to get the operation,” Mr Vervoort said.
“She can’t stand for any period of time, and even sitting up straight she is in a lot of pain, but they’re not really sure why this has happened.”
The couple care for each other as Mr Vervoort has a rare blood disorder which affects his nerves, heart and kidneys. It is also affecting his back and the loss of the wheelchair has made it even more difficult for him to care for his partner.
“We are hoping that this operation will improve her mobility, but she is still apparently going to be in pain,” Mr Vervoort said.
Mr Vervoort has passed on home security CCTV footage to Ballarat police who confirmed they are investigating the theft.
