A Bakersfield boy bravely facing a surgery to amputate his leg, is now scared to be in his own home. We first brought you the story of 9-year-old Ethan Perez earlier this month.
On Wednesday, someone broke into his family's home, and among the things they took was Ethan's brand new scooter. He was going to ride it once he got his prosthetic leg.
"I guess it really did suck a lot," said Ethan. "Like the one thing I finally get forever is like missing or stolen. It's like really!"
"I told him that his scooter was missing, and as soon as I did his face just turned white," said Cole Perez, Ethan's older brother, "And, he was sad, and I never see him like that. And, it was bad."
Ethan's parents bought him the push scooter as motivation to recover after his amputation. The boy has a rare form of vascular malformation called arterio-venous malformation or A.V.M. Not only can he not use his leg, but it's also very painful. That's why he has to have the surgery. He has been putting on a positive and brave face ever since he learned he has to have his leg removed. But Wednesday, Ethan's older brother came home from school to find their house turned upside down.
Someone broke into their home and took laptops, jewelry, money, and his parents say, most importantly, they took Ethan's never used $400 push scooter.
"His brother, he likes to go around the neighborhood with their friends and scooter around," explained Ethan's father, Tony Perez. "And, Ethan just kind of sits there and looks at him. So, it was a way to motivate himself to go out with his brother and friends and just be a normal kid."
"The scooter sat in the house and would go room to room with him. He said that's going to be my inspiration to get up and I'll get walking even faster," said Debbie Landry, Ethan's mom.
Ethan's parents buy him a gift for every surgery he has. The scooter was to be his present for after his amputation, and it was something he desperately wanted. Not only does he now not have his scooter to look forward too, he is afraid whoever stole it will come back.
"You really going to take all of that stuff and ruin a kid's heart," said Ethan about whomever stole his scooter.
Bakersfield Police took fingerprints from the home, but no one has been arrested.
The thieves also took Ethan's Ipod Touch that he used every day and several of his video games. Ethan's mom says a teacher at Fruitvale Junior High has already contacted her and wants to replace his scooter.
The family has had so many people wanting to help, they've set up an account at Kern Schools Federal Credit Union under Debbie Landry's name in care of Ethan Perez. The account number is 20680.
As for Ethan's operation, his parents say that should happen sometime in the next two weeks.
