'My heart dropped:' Adaptive bike stolen from Marysville man in wheelchair
MARYSVILLE, Wash. - A Marysville man who must use a wheelchair to get around is hoping to get his adaptive bike back after it was stolen inside a grocery store.
"It’s just that one time, gone," said Jesse Gilpatrick.
His specialized bike consisted of one wheel and a motor. It was designed to attach to his wheelchair and work with the wheels of his chair. It was stolen out of the entryway of the Safeway in Marysville a few weeks ago while he was picking up a prescription.
"It’s just that trust issue," said Gilpatrick.
He says he often stored his wheelchair-adapted bike inside the entry near the carts while he shopped. He said on that day, he returned to find it gone.
"My heart dropped, and I’m freaking out. That’s my main transportation to get from home to here to work. I do grocery shopping, I do community outreach. I do a lot on my bike," said Gilpatrick.
Gilpatrick says the store security video later showed a thief picking up his bike and another bike and walking out. Gilpatrick believes the man stole the adaptive bike for parts as it would not be able to be used without being attached to a wheelchair.
"That’s the thing," he said. "It’s such a unique thing."
Gilpatrick has used a wheelchair since he was a child.
"Long story short, a surgery gone bad on my back, they put a rod in my back and put me in a wheelchair, but it hasn’t stopped me," said Gilpatrick.
The bike was motorized and a big part of his independence. It gave his chair the ability to ride through snow and provided more stability, protecting him from injury. He says his electric wheelchair has flipped on him before after riding over uneven pavement and concrete.
"The benefit of having my bike is these little cracks in these sidewalks. It is not going to flip me forward. But, my smart drive, if I’m not careful, of all these little cracks and these front wheels hit these cracks, I go flying forward," he said.
Gilpatrick says part of his job involves outreach for the Center for Independence in Marysville and the theft has impacted his work there as well.
"I go around and talk to local businesses about who we are and what we do and how we can assist the city of Marysville," said Gilpatrick. "So that’s my job, so I love going out and spreading awareness about disability. So, without my bike, it’s been kind of hard to do that."
For now, Gilpatrick says he's taking the bus, which also has its limitations. His sister has created an online fundraiser for him in order to raise money to get him a new bike and restore his freedom.
"Where I work, where I play, where I visit friends-- my bike allows me to do all of that. It allows me to go to church. It allows me to host game night for people. It’s just been kind of hard without it."
