(KTXL) — Single mother Juliana Melgoza calls her daughter an angel on earth. Her brothers call her Harley Quinn — Her real name is Miracle.
“She’s a literal miracle. She really is,” Melgoza, who lives in Turlock, said.
And now, they’re hoping for another one.
On Sunday, the Melgozas were getting ready to go to church when they noticed their car was gone.
“Miracle’s older sister, my 8-year-old, looked outside and said, ‘Mommy, there is no car,’” Melgoza recalled.
Their car, along with Miracle’s customized pediatric wheelchair in it, was stolen. In a few hours, police were able to locate the vehicle, but everything was gone, including the wheelchair.
“This was her ability to have independence.”
Juliana Melgoza
“It has her name on it, in colors where you obviously know it’s for a child. So, my first thought was, ‘Why, why would anybody do that?’” Melgoza said.
The wheelchair had more than Miracle’s name on it. It had straps and head support designed specifically for her.
Melgoza said Miracle has spina bifida, a condition where the spine does not fully develop.
“There are other diagnoses that go along with that, scoliosis also being one of them, which is what affects her back and affects her ability to sit straight or move. There is no core strength there,” Melgoza explained.
Miracle was set to have surgery at the end of January, but that’s now on hold.
“Right now, I’m carrying her. You can’t hand-carry someone a long distance that has had a bar placement in their back. It’s just not going to happen,” Melgoza explained.
Her daughter also can’t be on a school campus without a wheelchair regulated for her diagnosis. Melgoza said whoever took Miracle’s wheelchair took so much more than they realize.
“This was her ability to have independence. This was the only device she had to be able to move from room to room herself without someone else pushing her and just the ability to be outside without being carried,” Melgoza said.
“No matter what challenges come, she still does everything with a smile … .”
Juliana Melgoza
But through the whole thing, there has been an outpouring of support from the Turlock community. The Turlock Police Officers Association surprised Miracle with a $1,000 check.
“Just the support of people even just saying, ‘Hey, I’m here with you. We’re looking out. Our officers are looking.’ Even just the support from the department, all the departments, really,” Melgoza said. “Despite the negativity of this situation, there has been an outpour of support and it does restore your hope in humanity.”
Her daughter’s own resilience is giving her hope too.
“No matter what challenges come, she still does everything with a smile even now as we talk about something that has been taken from her,” Melgoza said. “She still remains in this positive ambiance. Her eyes are smiling.”
On Wednesday, the Melgozas will be meeting with the company that produced her wheelchair to get an idea of how much it will cost to replace it.
