SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — An outpouring of support from the community has left a University Heights man "overwhelmed" after his custom electric wheelchair was stolen last week.
Bill Cumley, 65, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 18 years ago, uses the $30,000 wheelchair to leave his home and maintain his independence.
Cumley said the theft left him feeling "violated" and unable to trust people.
"I didn't think in my wildest dreams what would happen next," Cumley said through tears.
Cumley had filed a police report after spotting a slender brown-haired man outside his gate and hearing noises in his backyard.
The 8-year-old wheelchair was stolen from his home on Adams Avenue.
As Cumley started a GoFundMe campaign to replace the wheelchair, with Medicare covering most of the cost, his story aired on ABC 10News. Within minutes, Cumley said, people started responding.
In the next 24 hours, Cumley looked on, as more than 90 donors raised the $3,000 copay needed to replace the wheelchair.
An emotional Cumley expressed his gratitude to the donors, some of whom remained anonymous.
“So grateful… Just a wonderful feeling, some anonymous, people leave their name," an emotional Cumley said. "Never felt this sense of community before. I feel like I have a 100 new friends."
While Cumley waits about a month for the new wheelchair to arrive, he hopes to revive an old mobility scooter, though he's unsure if the parts are working.
"Now I have hope again and hope is a good thing to have," Cumley said.
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