‘Tis the season for giving and it’s come simply in time for a 20-year-old most cancers survivor in Oregon whose prosthetic leg was stolen out of his automotive earlier this month.
In a matter of weeks, Atticus Root’s household was in a position to increase almost $12,000, which is greater than sufficient to purchase a substitute for the system he’s worn since age 14, when his left leg needed to be amputated due to bone most cancers.
But no sum of money appears to have been in a position to carry the gloom Root’s been feeling since thieves broke into his automotive on Dec. 8 and took his prosthetic leg, his uncle mentioned.
“This is a ‘he simply can’t catch a break’ type of state of affairs,” Joshua Veldstra, advised NBC News. “He appears to have a reasonably good angle, or a minimum of he’s making an attempt to keep up a very good angle about what occurred. But it’s a horrible factor. I imply, who steals a prosthetic leg?”
Portland police spokesperson Mike Benner mentioned they don’t have any new leads. They are providing as much as $2,500 money reward by way of the Crime Stoppers of Oregon program “for data that results in the restoration of a stolen prosthetic limb.”
“While this piece of medical tools is price roughly $8,000, its true worth can’t be measured in {dollars} because it gives nice help to a 20-year-old Portland man who misplaced his leg to a bone most cancers,” this system mentioned in an announcement.
Root was 13 when he was identified with osteosarcoma, a uncommon bone most cancers that happens most frequently in kids, youngsters and younger adults. The most cancers was situated in his left femur and at risk of spreading. It compelled the then-teenager to make a life-changing resolution.
“It wasn’t actually that arduous of a choice to make,” Root insisted in a 2019 interview with the native NBC News affiliate KGW8. “It was both my life or an amputation.”
Not lengthy after that, Root acquired the custom-made prosthetic that turned part of his new life.
“It was custom-made to suit his physique,” Veldstra, the uncle, mentioned. “It was made only for him.”
Root additionally has a “spare” prosthetic leg that he makes use of typically, however it is not as snug, and he additionally depends on crutches.
Earlier this month, Root went out for dinner with buddies in downtown Portland and left the prosthetic leg within the trunk of his automotive.
Veldstra mentioned he is undecided why he went to the restaurant on the spare prosthesis. But when he returned, the {custom} leg was gone.
“They messed with the steering column and popped the trunk,” mentioned Veldstra. “His leg was within the trunk, which obtained stolen with a few of his work tools, like his welding bag.”
The unhappy irony, Veldstra mentioned, is that Root, who spent much of his teenage years battling cancer, was lastly getting used to this prosthetic leg. It had a movable knee, a operating blade “for exercising,” and made him much less reliant on crutches, he mentioned.
“It’s tremendous essential for his work too, as a result of he didn’t have to make use of crutches and was in a position to make use of each arms,” mentioned Veldstra, noting that his nephew is a welder. “But now the whole lot is more durable once more.”
Veldstra mentioned that neither Root nor his mom, Irene, had been prepared to speak in regards to the theft.
“They’re each tremendous upset about this,” he mentioned. “My sister may be very anxious about all of it.”
Irene Veldstra voiced her dismay on the GoFundMe account her brother began to lift funds to switch Root’s stolen leg.
“I’m totally conscious life sucks, however Atticus was simply starting to really feel higher and get again on his ‘toes’,” she wrote. “He doesn’t deserve this. If anybody has every other concepts, we’re open to them. And no, rental insurance coverage doesn’t cowl it.”
But as phrase of what occurred to Root obtained out, the household’s buddies responded. As of Thursday, there was almost $12,000 in donations on the fundraising web site.
“The household may be very relieved and so grateful to everybody who has donated,” Veldstra mentioned in a textual content message.
While the household now has sufficient cash to purchase Root a brand new prosthetic leg, it is going to take time for a brand new one to be made and fitted.
“I’m undecided how lengthy it is going to take to suit a brand new one, however I’m guessing just a few months,” he mentioned.
