Porch Thieves Steal Boy’s $5000 Kidney Medication

By Ilemme at English Wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

A family was left devastated after thieves stole a package off their porch—it contained their little boy’s life-saving medication.

Cody Taylor, a single father living with his 4-year-old son, Austin, in Riverdale, Utah, had been receiving the delivered medication for years with no problem—until it was swiped from his porch last week.

According to FOX13, Austin was born with several birth defects and has been battling stage 5 kidney failure. Cody said he was given a “25 percent chance of living three months.” Doctors were not sure if he would make it.

Two years ago Austin received a kidney transplant but he needs to take the medicine so his body does not reject the kidney.

The package included a 3-month supply of medicine for Austin’s kidney. The total cost of the medicine was about $5000.

“Somebody stole my son’s medication delivery,” Cody posted in a Riverdale City Citizens Facebook group on Monday, Dec. 18. “If it was just a present I would be frustrated but would count it as a loss. It’s his 90 day supply of antirejection meds called Rapamune and Mycophenolate.”

Months ago Cody recalled his son’s miraculous journey that doctor’s said the boy would never have.

The father pleaded with the thief—whose identity is still unknown as of writing—to return the package.

“If it was anyone here please bring it back, I won’t call the police, I won’t put out a camera I just need it back for him to not reject his kidney and go to the hospital,” Cody wrote, in part, to the group.

Cody was not sure if his insurance would cover the costs of replacing the stolen package, adding that his small family could not afford an additional $5000. In an earlier post, the father posted on his Facebook that the medication costs for Austin were $45,000 per year.

“Luckily my SUV is paid off. I was prepared to take out a loan and pay for the medication outright,” Cody told FOX13.

After working with his insurance company, Cody eventually managed to get his stolen medication covered.

“We have gotten so much love and so much support that I just couldn’t believe it,” Cody told the network. “He’s so strong and always fighting.”

According to the Washington Post, “porch pirates” have been a rising problem in recent years, especially during the holiday season. On top of that, more and more Americans are shopping online—58 million Americans shopped only online over the Thanksgiving Day weekend, according to the National Retail Federation. 

The father said he has a message he wants the unknown thief to listen to.

“You don’t know who you’re hurting by your actions. It could range from ruining someone’s Christmas to threatening someone’s life. You just never know,” he told FOX13.

According to the network, a company called “The Porch Locker” later donated a lock box for Austin’s medication to be safely delivered to.

From NTD.tv