Urgent hunt for stolen van desperately needed by terminally ill boy

The mother of a terminally ill 13-year-old boy has pleaded for help in finding his modified van, calling it his ‘lifeline’ in his final days.

Elijah Cariazo, who was born with a rare muscular condition called myotubular myopathy which makes it difficult for him to breathe and swallow, depends on the vehicle to travel, carry bulky medical equipment and get to hospital appointments.

Scotland Yard said ‘time is of the essence’ after the converted grey Ford Transit Custom was stolen from outside the family home in Hackney, east London, in the early hours of Tuesday.

Elijah’s mum Onessa said: ‘I am appealing to everyone to keep an eye out for Elijah’s lifeline, this is not just a vehicle, it is our road to freedom. Without it, our poor boy cannot see in his final days. Every day is an extension, and we thank God.

‘This vehicle cannot be easily replaced and it is his 14 birthday in a few short days.

‘We had hoped to take him away with his medical team to enjoy the surroundings of the countryside which he loves so much.

‘If you see a vehicle of this colour parked up unattended or don’t recognise it, please report it to the police, it may be nothing, but we need everyone to keep their eyes peeled and thank them in advance, this means so much to our family.’

Elijah was born with a rare muscular condition called myotubular myopathy which makes it difficult for him breath and swallow.

He survives with the help of bulky medical equipment that has required the family to use a specially modified van which took nine months to fully customise.

It is used to take him to hospital for appointments and cannot be easily replaced.

The Cariazo family was due to go on holiday for the Easter weekend following a deterioration in Elijah’s condition, however when they woke on Tuesday the van was gone.

CCTV has captured footage of two men breaking into the car outside their house on Loanda Close, before turning left onto Clarissa Street and left again onto Lee Street towards the A10 Kingsland Road.

The suspects are two while men, approximately 5 foot 10 and slim build. They were seen wearing black tracksuits and one was wearing a rucksack.

The van has one missing hubcap on the rear right-hand side and has a distinctive sticker for the wheelchair ramp on the back doors.

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