Utah community rallies after theft of 5-year-old's wheelchair

Keaton Johnson, 5, has cerebral palsy and requires a specially designed wheelchair to get around. On Saturday, his family’s 1999 Honda Civic was stolen with his wheelchair inside. While the wheelchair was later recovered, it’s missing the seat and back.

"He's a little bummed. He wants his seat back," Johnson’s mother, Rosy Mintz, told Deseret News.

Mintz, who is eight months pregnant, and her boyfriend, Aaron Johnson, had just moved into a new apartment in Toole City, Utah. A customized replacement wheelchair would cost about $5,000, but moving expenses mean the family isn’t able to buy one, Deseret News reported.

As the Tooele City community learned about the theft, supporters began chipping in, sending a $100 gift card for gasoline, a car seat for Johnson, and a local car dealership gave them a replacement car.

Supporters set up a GoFundMe page.

The family’s biggest challenge will be finding a new wheelchair.

"Finding one that is completely suited to his needs is going to be really hard,” Mintz told Deseret News.