A quadriplegic Etobicoke woman has learned that thieves who stole her specially-equipped van have left it a write-off.
Brenda Baird got some good news on Tuesday. Police had recovered the van taken on Monday.
They suspect the thieves used it for other smash-and-grabs of vehicles.
She has now learned the vehicle, a 1996 Ford Windstar, is heavily damaged and her insurance company has deemed it isn't worth fixing. They have offered $1,000.
"I was very angry at first, but now it's just becoming a shock in my mind," she told CTV Toronto.
Asked what she could do with $1,000, Baird said: "I don't know. Buy groceries for a month?"
Without the van, Baird can't get to the doctor's office or go grocery shopping with Charles, her husband of 36 years. Right now, he's driving an economy-sized rental car.
A new custom-fitted van could mean giving up the family home, Brenda said.
"I'll plead. Plead for help. And that's what I'm doing," she said.
"Try and see if there might be an angel out there who can knock on my door and maybe give us a little bit of advice or help.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Dana Levenson
