SHOCKING footage shows a pair of heartless thugs stealing a family’s van packed with lifesaving medical equipment for their terminally ill child.
A converted grey Ford Transit Custom was stolen from a family’s home in Hackney, east London, in the early hours of Tuesday, said Metropolitan Police.
The Van belonged to the Cariazo family who were getting ready to go on holiday this weekend.
The family use the van to help transport their 13-year-old son, Eliijah Cariazo, who is terminally ill.
Elijah was born with a rare muscular condition called myotubular myopathy, which makes it difficult for him to breathe or swallow.
Without it, our poor boy cannot see in his final days
Onessa
With the van stolen Elijah will struggle to get to his hospital appointments and could find life even more difficult as a lot of essential medical equipment was in that van.
The Met police claim the vehicle was last seen heading towards the A10 Kingsland Road.
The officers are treating the theft with “particular concern” and said, “time is of the essence”.
The shocking CCTV footage shows two men breaking into it outside the family’s house on Londa Close.
In the video, you can see that the suspects are two white men, approximately 5ft 10in and of slim build.
They wore black tracksuits and one carried a rucksack.
Elijah’s mother, Onessa said: “I am appealing to everyone to keep an eye out for Elijah’s lifeline, this is not just a vehicle, it is our road to freedom.
“Without it, our poor boy cannot see in his final days.
“Every day is an extension, and we thank God.
“This vehicle cannot be easily replaced and it is his 14th birthday in a few short days.
“We had hoped to take him away with his medical team to enjoy the surroundings of the countryside which he loves so much.”
Elijah’s condition had worsened but the family were still excited to use the van for a holiday over the Easter weekend.
The vehicle had taken the family nine months to fully customise and was perfect for transporting Elijah back and forth from the hospital.
The van has one missing hubcap on the rear right-hand side and has a distinctive sticker for the wheelchair ramp on the back doors.
Elijah’s mother added: “If you see a vehicle of this colour parked up unattended or don’t recognise it, please report it to the police.
“It may be nothing but we need everyone to keep their eyes peeled and thank them in advance.”
“This means so much to our family.”
Sergeant Adam Hunter, of the Haggerston Safer Neighbourhood team, said: “The Met takes every theft seriously but this case is of particular concern to us due to the type of vehicle and the time-sensitive nature of the investigation.
“Officers are based in the area and are well known within the community.
“They are conducting house-to-house enquiries and trawling through hours of CCTV footage to track down the van but time is of the essence so we are appealing to the public for any information they may have.”
