5-year-old reunited with missing wheelchair

By Sera Congi

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    PEABODY, Massachusetts (WCVB) — A Peabody, Massachusetts 5-year-old battling cerebral palsy has been reunited with his wheelchair after it disappeared from the family’s driveway on Monday.

Stephanie DeGennaro, who first met Gabriel when he was being cared for at Franciscan Children’s Hospital, said someone took the wheelchair out of the family’s vehicle in the driveway. When they went to put Gabriel in it, the wheelchair was gone.

DeGennaro said the family lives on a quiet, dead end street in South Peabody.

The wheelchair worth thousands of dollars is customized for Gabriel.

Peabody police lieutenant Bill Cook said he had heard that the child’s wheelchair had possibly been picked up by a scrap metal pick-up truck somewhere in town, and recalled seeing the truck driving around the area.

Cook said he located the pick-up truck, and found Gabriel’s wheelchair still in the back.

The lieutenant said he took the wheelchair out of the truck and returned it to the family.

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