A single father left to care for his disabled 3-year-old daughter has a new problem on his hands after someone stole his car with his daughter’s wheelchair still inside.
Orlando police found the station wagon, but not the wheelchair. And the father just wants the chair back.
Brian Kulbaba is a widower and father of two beautiful little girls. His wife passed away from cancer in 2012 and he now cares for his daughters by himself. Zoe is 5, and 3-year-old Eva suffers from a neurological disorder and needs a wheelchair to get around.
“She has a [condition] called septo-optic dysplasia. Pretty much with her condition when our brain is developing it splits in half … hers did not,” said Brian.
On Wednesday night, someone stole Brian’s car along with Eva’s car seat and specialized wheelchair. Brian woke up to the unwanted surprise.
“Getting the girls all ready for school, pretty much ready to walk out the door with all their bags and the car was gone,” said Brian.
The car is back in the driveway. It only took police a few hours to find it. But it's what was inside the car that’s still missing and so vital to this family.
The wheelchair costs about $2,000 and Brian is hoping insurance will cover it. Meanwhile, he is trying to fix an old chair and said he can’t believe someone could be so heartless and steal something so important to a disabled child
“Quite honestly, I don’t know how you have no remorse when you open up someone’s car and there is a wheelchair in there and you rip that out,” said Brian.
He is hoping, for Eva’s sake, they bring it back.
An outpouring of support from News 13 viewers has led to a page set up by the parents of 3-year-old Zoe's best friend. All proceeds will go towards replacing her chair and helping with the care her condition requires. As of Sunday evening, the page has raised over $6,000.
If you have any information about the chair or any of the other missing items, call Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS (8477).