St. Joseph County Commissioner Derek Dieter has found a bike stolen from a man with cerebral palsy. He says he received a call early this morning from someone who located the bicycle in a yard. The bike belonged to a boy named Kadin, who received the bike as a gift from Anna’s Celebration of Life.

Kadin’s mother says the bike was left on the side of the house for not even 30 minutes before being stolen. The non-profit that gifted Kadin the bike adaptive bikes to those with cerebral palsy, a disease that affects the muscles. Dieter, a former police officer, says the outpouring of support for Kadin’s family was overwhelming.

“The mom said that during the time [the bike was missing], he couldn’t sleep, he was upset, punching things in the house, he lost, basically kind of his best friend,” said Dieter.

Dieter credits social media for helping drive awareness of Kadin’s missing bicycle.

“We got good involvement with and, in this instance, with social media, if used correctly, can be a good tool,” he added.

Kadin has Cerebral Palsy, a group of disorders that impact a person’s capacity to move and maintain balance and posture. It is the most prevalent motor disability in childhood. The term “cerebral” relates to the brain, while “palsy” refers to weakness or difficulties in using the muscles.

“I’m happy for the family because it’s a difficult task to begin with what they do with Kadin,” he added.