Heartless thieves brazenly stole a 20-year-old bone cancer patient’s prosthetic leg from the trunk of his car while he was out to dinner with friends in Portland.
Atticus Root, 20, was returning from dinner with friends to find the trunk of his car had been ransacked as brazen thieves made off with his custom-made prosthetic leg and a bag of tools he needed for his welding job.
“They tampered with the steering column and opened the trunk,” Root’s uncle Joshua Veldstra said of the cold-hearted theft.
‘His leg was in the boot, which was stolen along with some of his work equipment, such as his welding bag. This is a ‘he just can’t catch a break’ situation,” Veldstra said NBC Newsadding that his cousin “just got used” to the fake limb.
Portland police have since confirmed the theft, which occurred on December 8 in the area of Southwest 11th Avenue and Southwest Columbia Street.
That evening, Root had traded in his regular prosthetic, which included a walking tray with a bendable knee, for his spare – a package worth about $8,000 all told.
“It was custom made to fit his body,” Veldstra said, noting that his cousin’s spare prosthetic wasn’t as comfortable. “It was made especially for him.”
“It’s also super important for his work because he didn’t have to use crutches and was able to use both hands,” his uncle added. ‘Now everything is more difficult again.’
Atticus Root, 20, was returning from dinner with friends to find the trunk of his car had been ransacked as brazen thieves made off with his custom-made prosthetic leg and a bag of tools he needed for his welding job
A prosthetic leg similar to that of 20-year-old Atticus Root.
Root was just 13 years old when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer most common in children, teens and young adults.
The rare cancer was in his left thigh and threatened to spread, forcing the then-teenager to make a life-changing decision: amputate his leg.
“It wasn’t that hard of a decision to make, it was my life or an amputation,” Root said in a 2019 interview with KKG8.
After the complete leg amputation, Root had to relearn how to walk, work and live with the expensive, custom-made limb.
Now, years later, Root’s family says he’s only just getting used to the leg, which is specially attached to his socket.
‘It’s been a tough month. Atticus just started to feel better and get back on his feet, he doesn’t deserve this,” his mother, Irene Veldstra wrote on a GoFundMe page created to help cover the high cost of a custom replacement.
She noted that the prosthetic would not have a serial number because the leg was custom made and had so many removable parts, making it harder to find.
‘[Prosthetics] are all tailor-made for the patient, plus the prosthetist who understands all the science of the body and the construction of the leg. Things I learned: Legs are complicated,” she added.
Root was just 13 years old when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer that occurs most often in children, teens and young adults
After the online fundraiser reached and later far exceeded its $8,000 goal, raising nearly $12,000, the donation page was closed.
“It has been quite an adventure and the incredible support has been another overwhelming reminder of the wonderful community that has shown its care for our little family in so many different ways,” she wrote in an update.
However, Root’s uncle told NBC that it could still be several months before his cousin’s new leg could be built.
Portland police are still investigating the incident and have said waste organizations remain on alert in the event the leg was discarded.
Oregon Crime Stoppers, a nonprofit organization, is also offering a $2,500 reward to anyone who can share information or an anonymous tip leading to the return of the prosthetic.