Edmonton father makes plea for return of daughter’s medical equipment

Watch above: An Edmonton father is pleading with whoever stole his van to just return some of the valuable equipment inside. Nancy Carlson has the details.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 UPDATE: Van containing Edmonton child’s specialized medical equipment found

EDMONTON — A young Edmonton father, whose youngest daughter has cerebral palsy, is making a heartfelt plea after his van containing his daughter’s specialized medical equipment was stolen over the weekend.

Phillip Hulmes, 29, says his van was stolen from outside his home in the area of 101 Avenue and 92 Street sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning.

“Inside the van there was my daughter’s wheelchair that she uses everyday and her walker she uses everyday. She has a specialized car seat,” said the single father of two.

“Most of my daughter’s equipment that she needs everyday to be at school, to function throughout the day, has all been stolen,” Hulmes said as he held his six-year-old daughter Shaileigh in his arms.

The van also had some of Hulmes’ tools inside, but the father says he doesn’t care about the vehicle, he just wants his daughter’s equipment returned.

“I don’t need the van or the tools,” he said Monday afternoon. “I just would really appreciate to have my daughter’s equipment back. It’s not replaceable and the cost to replace it is upwards of $15,000. I don’t have that kind of money.”

Hulmes says Shaileigh wasn’t able to go to school Monday, as he didn’t have a safe way to get her there.

“As it stands right now I don’t have any way to transport her, so even if I did have a ride she doesn’t have a proper seat, she doesn’t have a wheelchair at school, so it’s really difficult.

“She’s pretty aggravated that she can’t use her walker and stuff. She’s not able to move around the way that she normally would.”

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Edmonton police say they are investigating. Hulmes is asking that the person(s) responsible just drop off the equipment at a police station or hospital.

“It’s all serialized, it’s easily trackable, you can’t sell it.”

The van is a black 2003 Ford Winstar with licence plate number BFY 4072. Hulmes says there are a couple of Edmonton Eskimos stickers on the back window.

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