Daylin Campbell got a mountain bike for Christmas, but he wasn’t able to ride it because he’s been battling leukemia.
The 13-year-old had been building up his strength and looking forward to taking the bike out for a spin.
On Monday, somebody stole it off the porch of his home in Lake Wales, Florida.
“I thought, ‘Who would take my bike,’ ” Daylin said in an interview WFTS in Tampa.
His mom said the bike, with its “Daylin strong” stickers on the side, had a lot of sentimental value.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office decided to do something to cheer the boy up, while officers looked for the bicycle thief.
Sheriff Grady Judd and some of his officers came to Daylin’s house to bring him a brand new bike, a helmet and lock.
Sheriff Grady Judd Surprises Child with New Bike
It just didn't sit well with us knowing someone stole 13-year-old Daylin Campbell's bike off his front porch Monday in Lake Wales. This wasn't just any bike – it was a very special bike. It was given to him last Christmas while he was battling leukemia.This week we kindly received a donated bike and surprised Daylin with it to cheer him up. Want to know the even better news? Daylin is now in remission and we hope this bike will help him enjoy being a kid again. ABC 28's Andrea Lyon did a great story on Daylin's surprise. Click the link to watch it: https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/family-searching-for-stolen-bike-that-belongs-to-13-year-old-battling-cancer#PCSO #SaturdaySpotlight #DaylinDeservesHappiness #KindnessMatters
Posted by Polk County Sheriff's Office on Friday, March 29, 2019
Daylin thanked the men and smiled quietly, while they worked to make sure the bicycle helmet fit.
He answered with a polite “yes sir,” when the sheriff asked him if he was feeling well and taking care of himself.
Daylin was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May, WFTS reported, and was hospitalized a number of times between May and December while undergoing chemotherapy.
13-year-old Daylin Campbell had been given a bicycle while he was undergoing treatment for cancer, only to have it stolen before he could ever ride it. So Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd stepped in to surprise him with a brand-new bike! ???? WATCH: https://t.co/lQDIgTyeIH pic.twitter.com/zZPK9Up3TF
— FOX 13 Tampa Bay (@FOX13News) March 30, 2019
“I thought I wasn’t going to make it,” Daylin told the TV station.
This type of cancer causes bone marrow to make abnormal versions of white blood cells, red blood cells or platelets, which are responsible for blood clotting.
In a Facebook post, the sheriff’s office said that Daylin is now in remission.
“We hope this bike will help him enjoy being a kid again,” the posting said.
