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DENVER — A Wyoming family is stranded in Denver after someone stole their car from a hotel parking lot while they sought care of their son, who has Down syndrome and requires critical care in Denver.
The 1996 Chevrolet van provides more than just transportation for the Fischer family — it allows them to travel long distances to hospital appointments with their son, Lane. Click here to help the family through Contact7 Gives.
"Almost every six months we have to come down here for surgeries," said Yvonne Fischer, Lane's mother. "All of his equipment fit in it. His wheelchair fit in it."
Lane has Down syndrome and numerous complications with his health. The family travels weekly to hospital appointments in Montana and Colorado. The car, quite literally, is their entire life.
Inside the car, the thief stole "two vents and a vent stand and an oxygen concentrator," Fischer said. "There are five oxygen tanks that were in that van to get us home."
The family reached out to Contact7 to find help. Without suitable transportation and safety measures, they cannot leave the city.
"It just hit me, and I just started shaking. And I ran over to the front desk and I said ‘Call 911, my car has been stolen,'" said Ira Fischer, Lane's father.
After speaking to a police officer, he said he was optimistic they'd find the vehicle.
But 24 hours went by and they began to lose hope.
As they search for a new way home, another question lingers: Why would someone steal from such a vulnerable child?
"It is heartbreaking that someone would even think to take, even if it wasn’t his, any handicapped vehicle," Yvonne Fischer said. "I just don’t understand."
