GILBERT, AZ — Paula Gillette-West is searching for answers after her custom wheelchair was taken from her driveway in Gilbert on Saturday.
For years, she has been battling.
“I had undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma," Paula said. "It was in my leg, and it was large."
Her leg had to be amputated. Now cancer free, she is grateful for another day.
“I decided nothing was going to keep me down," she said.
Paula is still able to drive, go to the store, or to a friend’s, all on her own. It's been easier with the help of her custom-built wheelchair.
“That was my chair, it was built for me, it gives me my independence back," Paula said.
Establishing that independence is easiest for Paula when she leaves her chair in the driveway. It's left there due to negligence, and helps with her new routine.
Paula is able to use her chair to get into her car, drive where she needs to go, use the electric chair she keeps in her car, then drive back home. When she gets home, the chair is waiting for her right where she left it.
“It’s such a great neighborhood, everyone knows it’s her chair," Paula's daughter Brittany West said. "She’s been doing this for over four and a half years leaving her chair to run quick errands.”
But that independence has now been robbed. Neighbor's surveillance video shows two people taking her $9,000 custom chair right where she left it. The video then shows a red pick-up truck driving away.
"I came home, I pulled in, and I'm like wait where's my wheelchair? And I was just devastated," she added.
She was able to hop on her one leg using a walker car to get into her garage to get her back-up, generic wheelchair. She says this chair is uncomfortable, heavy, and not nearly as easy to move around in as her custom one.
“I just can’t imagine someone going up to someone’s house and taking a wheelchair. They can tell it’s brand new," Paula said.
Whether they took it on purpose, or thought it was bulk trash, Paula says she desperately needs it back.
If not, she would now have to pay for a brand new chair, which could also take a few months to get.
Gilbert police confirmed they are investigating. Anyone with information can contact them on their non-emergency line at (480) 503-6500.
