Kids & Family
Rhode Islanders Rally for Disabled Teen After Awful Crime
Wayne Thompson's $7,000 tricycle was stolen last week in Providence. It was found damaged on Monday.
Rhode Islanders are rallying behind a disabled teenager whose expensive tricycle was recently stolen.
Wayne Thompson, 17, of Providence, suffers from Noonan syndrome, which causes heart defects, bleeding problems, and bone malformations.
WPRI-TV reported he loved his $7,000 tricycle made possible by a donation from Shriners Hospitals for Children. But last week, the tricycle was stolen.
On Monday, Providence police said they found the bike, but it was damaged and "inoperable," according to NBC 10.
"It meant a lot to me," Thompson told WPRI.
A Rhode Island resident set up a GoFundMe donation page to raise money to buy Thompson a new tricycle.
"We take a lot for granted on a daily basis," wrote John Oliver on the donation site. "Because of someone’s poor choices a 17-year-old boy who has had to overcome so much already in his life now has to get through another obstacle."
More than $4,500 has been raised so far.
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