Random acts of violence can be disturbingly senseless. But this latest report out of Missouri is particularly heartbreaking.
The story involves one Nino Welcome, a seven-year-old kid whose rare genetic disorder (Lesch-Nyhan syndrome) has him confined to a wheelchair, and may very well for the rest of his life.
For his seventh birthday a few months ago, Nino got a Mustang. And not just any Mustang: a classic 1970 Mach 1 that was restored by his grandfather. Nino can’t drive it, maybe never will, but he loved riding in it and talking about it. His parents read him bedtime stories that revolve around him and the ‘Stang, and even had his wheelchair (which he named Mach 2) painted orange to match the car.
Now here comes the sad part: last week, in the middle of the night, some jackass broke the window and tossed in some lit fireworks while the Welcome family slept inside their Springfield home and the car sat parked in the driveway. Despite their best efforts, the fire completely destroyed the vehicle’s interior and much of the frame and bodywork.
“Vandalism and things like that aren’t random to the people it impacts,” Nino’s father Brett Welcome told KY3 News, as reported by The Drive. “It might be funny to throw fireworks into somebody’s vehicle but, when you destroy the happiness and the very thing that a disabled seven-year-old boy loves, it’s wicked. It’s disgusting.”
It’s questionable whether they’ll be able to repair the damage, but little Nino is apparently taking it like a champ. “Aside from saying some choice words about ‘those idiots being in big trouble,’ Nino has taken the news like a brave boy, the father wrote on Facebook. “He is sure that we can make it like new.” With no leads, the family’s asking for anyone with information related to the incident to come forward, and a crowdfunding effort has been set up to help the Welcomes repair or replace Nino’s beloved classic pony car.
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