Girl's prosthetic legs stolen for SECOND time!

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 12:56pm

How tacky!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060217/od_nm/life_legs_dc

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - For the second time in three months, a 16-year-old California girl who lost a leg in an accident has had her artificial limbs stolen.

Melissa Huff, an Arcadia High School student who uses a $16,000 prosthetic limb to play softball for the school team and another one, valued at $12,000, for everyday use, said both were taken from her bedroom Tuesday.

"I was picking up my little brother from school when my mom called me and asked where I left the two prosthetic legs," Huff, who lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Temple City, told Reuters in an interview.

"I knew right then that it had happened again."

Lisa Huff, her mother, said she came home around midday on Tuesday and found the room shared by Melissa and her older sister a mess. Only the prosthetic limbs were missing.

Police say they were talking to the girl's friends, neighbors and relatives for information about the missing legs.

In November, thieves broke into the Huff residence and took just her prosthetic limb. After that incident, Melissa's prosthetist and a local real estate company donated about $16,000 for a new limb.

The stolen limb was discovered in the teenager's backyard about a month ago, apparently thrown there by the thieves.

Melissa lost her real leg two years ago when a driver accidentally ran into her as she stood in front of her middle school.

She said she intends to get back on the field this week and just practice throwing until she gets another prosthetic limb.

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 12:57pm

I'm going to hell for this but, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I can't stop laughing. I'm a horrible bitch.

[koala808]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 12:57pm

Sick people in this world.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 12:57pm

There is nothing funny about it.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 12:59pm

I would suspect the rival school's crazy softball moms of trying to keep her off the field. Yes, it sounds like a sick prank to me.

[robbiej]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 12:59pm

Who does this????

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 1:00pm

I'm sorry. I know that it's really not funny. I went through and read the story again and I'm appalled at the cruelty of some people.

I think it was mostly the subject line that I found amusing.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 1:01pm

NO one outside of Joey and Earl from what I can tell. That is sad, sad, sad.
It does indeed sound like a high schooler's idea of a sick prank.

[Shay Jericho]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 1:01pm

Seriously, it's not like they can even really sell it with the news attention that it's getting.

It's just mean.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 1:02pm

I just keep picturing one guy turning to another guy and saying, "Hey, man - I know where we can score some killer prosthetic leg!"

Well, that and her softball coach telling her to "Hop to it!"

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 3:07pm

The choir director at my old church uses a fake leg, and he was telling us one time that during a summer at camp, someone stole it and the next morning he found it hanging from the flag pole.

[LaVieHilary]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 3:14pm

How sad that is that people take advatage of people with disabilites.


Except I did find this rather funy because my friends name is Melissa Huff.

Haha. Ok sorry I just had a moment with myself. continue the discussion.

[CostumeMistress]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 3:38pm

I'm so confused. What on earth would a thief do with the limb? I mean, really?

[MissMonika]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 3:49pm

That's horrible!! It's disgusting and so very mean.

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 3:51pm

Is there a black market for these things that I haven't heard about?

[NYadgal]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 4:28pm

There actually is.
For prosthetics and wheelchairs and all sorts of accessories and devices used by the disabled.

They are extremely costly, difficult to insure and without them people who rely on them have to struggle.

My 12 year-old nephew's wheelchair was stolen from his school about 2 years ago. Apparently there had been a number of similar thefts in the area. The cost to replace his wheelchair was over $1,600. AFTER insurance.

Updated On: 2/17/06 at 04:28 PM

[robbiej]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 4:31pm

Call me a commie...but don't ya think the government should help out just a touch when it comes to issues like this?

I wouldn't mind my tax dollars going towards aid for the disabled.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 4:34pm

They do, to an extent, robbie.

It gets complicated, but there is assistance available. Services as well as equipment can be provided.

The red-tape involved is mind-numbing, and the guidelines are constantly changing, but there are programs which help.

I'm delighted to have my tax-dollars go toward such assistance.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 5:19pm

um.....after the first time, they should have realized they need an alarm system.

after the first time, they should have realized they need a way of locking these up.

it's a terrible thing, but people will steal anything......so they should not have been laying around

you have to be proactive about these things.......frankly were mine stolen the first time, those legs would go with me anywhere I went............just to be sure it didn't happen again

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 5:33pm

Which also makes me wonder, if both her everyday prosthetic AND her sport prosthetic were stolen from her house, what was she doing?

[Phantom2]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 5:46pm

I suspect foul play. This is just terrible. What is this world coming to?

[jimmirae]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 2:04pm

Welcome to life in "America" - It used to be such a nice place...

[Plum]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 7:35pm

Which also makes me wonder, if both her everyday prosthetic AND her sport prosthetic were stolen from her house, what was she doing?

If she just lost one leg, she may be able to walk with crutches, or at the very least use a wheelchair. Prosthetics can get seriously painful, so maybe she doesn't wear them all the time.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 8:16pm

and many people drive with one leg.

however having had them stolen once, they need to be insured, AND put somewhere safe......

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 8:55pm

To have one's prosthetic leg stolen once is sad but understandable.

To have one's prosthetic leg stolen a second time is downright careless.