Gilbert woman asking for help after someone took her wheelchair

Gilbert woman asking for help after her customized wheelchair went missing

Surveillance video shows two people getting out of a truck, picked up the wheelchair belonging to Shannon Stanhope-Cook, and put it in the back of their truck. Stanhope-Cook believes the people may have taken her wheelchair by accident. FOX 10's Stephanie Olmo reports.

GILBERT, Ariz. - A Gilbert woman is asking for the public's help in recovering her lost wheelchair.

"That chair is my lifeline," said Shannon Stanhope-Cook.

The wheelchair went missing on Feb. 20. Stanhope-Cook, a mother of nine, left her house that day to take her daughter to work. Stanhope-Cook said she leaves her customized wheelchair on the driveway at times when she knows she is not getting out the car.

"Bulk trash was out, people had all their stuff out. It was a busy morning, and I came back, and there was no wheelchair. It was just gone," said Stanhope-Cook. "We had checked. We thought maybe the kids may have goofed around, put it in the alley or something, but it was just gone."

Later, Stanhope-Cook saw in a security camera two people getting out of a white pickup truck. They walk up to the driveway, pick up the wheelchair, and put it in the back of their truck.

"I would like to believe that they just maybe thought that I was going to be putting it out to bulk trash, or maybe it was going to make its way out there, but they just took it, and that left me in a position where I'm just in my car, with literally no way to get inside," said Stanhope-Cook.

Stanhope-Cook says she understands it might have been a mistake, but all she wants is to get her mobility back.

"Having to rely on a piece of equipment to get through your day, it's different," said Stanhope-Cook. "It’s a different way to live, and I will definitely appreciate it and respect it a lot more moving forward."

For now, Stanhope-Cook is using a temporary wheelchair. Her customized wheelchair is silver and lightweight, and it reads whisper brand on the side.

Shannon Cook

Shannonl.cook2018@gmail.com