A Nova Scotia man living with ALS says he’s lost even more of his independence after someone stole his specially-modified ATV.
Billy Vantassell was diagnosed with the debilitating disease two years ago and is rapidly losing the use of his legs.
Unable to shift gears with his feet, the Brookfield, N.S. resident designed hand shifts for his ATV so he could continue to do the things he wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.
“To a lot of people, a four-wheeler is a four-wheeler. To me it’s a little more than that because I use it for plowing snow and going anywhere I want to go basically,” says Vantassell.
However, he says someone stole the ATV from his yard Sunday evening while he and his wife were sleeping.
“It took a piece of his independence away and that really upsets me,” says Vantassell’s wife, Joan Hatton. “I know how much he enjoyed having that bike and having it equipped that he could still use it.”
“When you’re stealing from somebody, you don’t know who I am, and I realize that, but maybe you should think about that next time,” says Vantassell.
The couple says they don’t care who stole the ATV or why, they just want it back.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Kayla Hounsell
