BUFFALO, N.Y. - A family in Lovejoy is without a van and a specialized stroller for their disabled son. Eddie "Little Eddie" Kast is 37, but about the size of a 7-year-old child.
He has microcephaly, a rare neurological condition in which an infant's head is significantly smaller than the heads of other children of the same age and sex. Little Eddie also has vision damage.
Cheektowaga Police told the Kast family they found the van Monday night. The family will pick it up from the impound lot on Tuesday. That's when they will find out whether the stroller and harmonicas are still inside.
On Sunday, his father drove to the China Kitchen on Harlem Road near Walden to pick up dinner for the family. He parked, but left the keys in the ignition when he walked inside the restaurant.
A thief jumped in the vehicle and took off and inside was a specialized stroller, harmonicas and personal papers and pictures.
Former Buffalo Sabre Pat Kaleta saw Claudine's tweet and reached out for more information. Before 5:30, he made contact with the family and delivered a check to help them buy a new stroller for Little Eddie. Kaleta made the donation through the HITS Foundation (Helping Individuals To Smile). The goal of the organization is to provide financial, facility and program support for underprivileged children and adults.
"We're Buffalo. That's who we are. I know we don't always get the highest praises around, whether it be sports teams or any of that sort, but when people figure out what Buffalo's all about, this is exactly what it is. When someone needs your help in your community, you step up and you do it.," said Kaleta.
Earlier this year Little Eddie suffered a catastrophic seizure.
During the day, he attends a special program through People Inc.
The missing harmonicas makes the family sad because music is part of their son's therapy to deal with sensory deficits.
"Because of his disabilities, Little Eddie wants to go for a ride in a van, or a walk in a stroller and listen to his dad play the harmonica," and now all those items are gone.