A North Vancouver man with partial paralysis is has had his freedom stolen after a thief made off with his custom-made adaptable bicycle.
Michael Twyman had only recently flown to Belgiam to pick up the custom recumbent bike, which allowed him mobility using only his right arm and right leg. His left side was left too weak for strenuous use after his carotid artery became dissected following a bad neck adjustment eight years ago.
Sometime overnight between Jan. 20 and Jan. 21, Twyman’s Lynnmore North garage was his bit thieves.
“I locked it up with a couple Kryptonite locks in my supposedly secure underground parking in the townhouse complex where we live. Someone broke in and cut the cables and stole the bike. I’ve only had it maybe two months. It was pretty much brand new,” he said.
A theft has left Twyman essentially housebound.
“It was basically, for me, sheer joy. Since my injury, I’ve only been able to walk short distances at a very slow pace. I’m paralyzed on my left side, which makes day-to-day functions very difficult for me. The bicycle freed me up,” he said. “It’s taken my independence from me and taken away my ability to lead a more free life, to be more spontaneous. I don’t have a drivers licence because of the nature of my injury.”
Police say it’s likely the theft was a crime of opportunity. Undergrounds are frequently broken into by thieves looking for anything that could be stolen and sold. A couple of vehicles in Twyman’s underground had been rummaged through but nothing else was taken.
Given the custom design, the thieves will likely have a hard time finding a buyer, according to Cpl. Richard De Jong, North Vancouver RCMP spokesman.
“It’s pretty hard to sell. My guess is it’s sitting in somebody’s garage or storage locker wondering what to do with it,” he said.
The response from the community has been a silver lining amid the otherwise depressing experience, Twyman said.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the community support and the support from my friends. It’s proved my suspicion that there’s far more good in people than there is bad,” he said.
