PORTLAND, Mich. — David Lott lost his leg in a tree cutting accident in 2004.
Ever since then, he’s depended on his crutches and his wheelchair to get around.
However, someone stole his wheelchair from his front lawn in broad daylight, of all days, on Memorial Day.
“The timing was a little off as far as I was concerned. I’m a Gulf War vet and somebody stealing my wheelchair on Memorial Day, the timing was not was quite what I was hoping for,” Lott said.
“I personally hope that who took it, needed it more than I did and that they can use it. I have no ill for them whatsoever,” he added.
So his family took to Facebook. His wife, Cindy, wanted to get the word out about the crook running around in Portland who targeted a man with a disability.
Their daughter, Christina, also hit the web by going to the Facebook page “Portland Area Rummage Sale.”
Part of her post read, “so if you know who stole his chair that he uses to get around outside, please have them return it.”
There were dozens of responses. Portland resident Michael Shaw came to the rescue.
“I have no idea who took. I just posted that I have a new wheelchair that was donated to us, and he could use it. It’s his,” Shaw said.
The stranger thought the theft hit a new low.
“On Memorial Day, that even makes it ten times worse. For crying out loud he was, he’s a vet. He’s the reason why we are safe here in the United States,” Shaw said.
When the craftsman isn’t in his workshop, he and his family run an in-home aide business.
“When you’re in this line of work, you’re just naturally giving. You have to be,” Shaw said.
It’s one stranger who decided to help another. Shaw sends this message to the public.
“Well, I hope that somebody else would do something for somebody else,” he said.
Lott said, “All I can do is thank them very much for what they’ve done and thank the community for their outpouring of help and support.”
