Superior Township Fire Department replaces autistic child's stolen bike
Jett, 7, takes his new bike for a ride.
Katrease Stafford | AnnArbor.com
The Superior Township Fire Department discovered the bike had been stolen after seeing a flier posted in the neighborhood by the family and decided to pull together their resources to replace the bike. The fire department gave Jett a new bike Friday.
Killewald said Jett, who has Asperger's Syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, had the bike for less than two weeks before it was stolen.
Killewald said the bike helped her son in many ways with his disorder. Jett and his father, Brian, spent a few days outfitting the bike with blue lights to resemble his favorite movie, Tron. The bike cost around $80 and the lights and accessories cost $50.
"A lot of times kids on the autism spectrum do what we call hyper focusing and he focuses on things like Tron and Star Wars, for which most little boys do," Samantha Killewald said. "He was so excited about the bike and how it looked and every time we would come home he would ride it."
The Superior Township Fire Department provided Jett, 7, with a new bike.
Katrease Stafford | AnnArbor.com
Samantha Killewald said two weeks ago the family cleaned their garage out in preparation of a garage sale and placed a lot of their belongings in the front courtyard. Jett's bike also happened to be in the front at the time.
"We didn't realize it was there and when we came home one afternoon, it was gone," she said. "I thought, there's no way someone stole it. It must be in the garage or maybe he left it down the street at his friend's house."
The family was shocked someone would steal the bike.
"Why would someone take a kid's 10-inch bike?" Samantha Killewald said. "It wasn't a teenager's bike but a little kid's bike. You don’t want to think that someone would do something like that."
Killewald said the family drove around the neighborhood a few times and even searched some of the surrounding fields to see if someone had dumped the bike.
The search was fruitless and Jett's father ended up posting fliers all around the neighborhood, hoping that someone would return the bike.
The family said they never heard anything — that is, until the fire department called last week.
"When they called, I wanted to cry," his mother said. "It just made me feel so good. He has obsessed with this bike since it happened and he talked about it morning, noon and night. Every night he would say, 'Do you think anyone cares about my bike being stolen?' It was hard."
Firefighters from Superior Township Fire Department watch as Jett, 7, tests out his new bike.
Katrease Stafford | AnnArbor.com
"Firefighters are the helping kind and the community gives so much to us so we wanted to give back," Kujawa said. "So us guys contacted Target of Canton Township and the Firefighters Local 3292 purchased the bike for him."
The bike cost around $70 and the firefighters also bought a helmet and bike lock.
Jett, who sometimes has trouble expressing emotions, was excited once the fire department unveiled the bike. He rode the bike several times around the neighborhood.
"It just warms my heart that people still care," Brian Killewald said. "As I was putting the signs up people just drove by and I didn't have any hope of recovering the bike. To know that people still care and were out there looking, it means a lot."
Katrease Stafford covers Ypsilanti for AnnArbor.com.Reach her at katreasestafford@annarbor.com or 734-623-2548 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
Rod Johnson
Sun, Sep 2, 2012 : 6:41 p.m.
A "10-inch bike"!?
julieswhimsies
Sat, Sep 1, 2012 : 9:37 p.m.
What a great gift from these firefighters. God, I love Firemen!
MominSuperior
Sat, Sep 1, 2012 : 2:19 p.m.
I am Jett's mom and we are so, so thankful that the fire department did such a wonderful (& totally unsolicited) thing for our son. Jett was very upset that his bike was stolen, but also just as worried that "no one cared" that his bike was stolen. These guys showed Jett that people DO care and people DO do the right thing. That is worth more than all of the bikes in the world. We are planning on taking the firemen dinner and dessert soon (made with the help of Jett!)
Carole
Sat, Sep 1, 2012 : 1:02 p.m.
Hip, hip hooray for a marvelous story. Leave it to the Firefighters to help with charity in the community -- always have been good at it.
jns131
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 11:40 p.m.
Most times with stuff like this? The fire dept and police will come thru to replace a bike that was stolen. Kudos to our fire officials.
5travellers
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 11:06 p.m.
What an awesome act of kindness these guys displayed!!! It's nice to read a positive news story!
Ann English
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 10:52 p.m.
I gather from the story that the Superior Township Fire Department is on Ford Road, at Prospect Road. I know there is a Target store in Canton on Ford Road. So the bike was purchased there. It's good to see a story about Superior Township firefighters with a happy ending. I wish a map were provided to show where this subdivision is.
Trouble
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 9:13 p.m.
Supeior Twp. Fire Dept. + Superior Twp. + Wm. McFarlane = Class Operation !
Cash
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 10:51 p.m.
So true. We are very lucky.
A2comments
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 8:17 p.m.
WE ARE SUPERIOR!
Cash
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 8:02 p.m.
As a Superior Township taxpayer the most valuable taxes I have paid for the past 30 years are those that go to our Superior Fire Dept....when I fell alone in my yard and broke my leg as I looked at my foot dangling off of my leg.....they were at my house within 3 minutes.....I can still their kind faces comforting me! The kindness and care they gave me waiting for the ambulance....will never be forgotten. Many of my neighbors over the years have been so thankful for these guys who are always there for us. It's no surprise to me that they would want to help this young man. It's in their DNA! These men are superior!!! Our township is superior. I'm proud to live here.
music to my ear
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 7:56 p.m.
its nice to see good stories, more of us should lend a hand to help, this world would be a better place
ArthGuinness
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.
Agreed, thumbs up. And thanks for some good news.
Nunya
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 7:23 p.m.
Nice job guys. Class.
Tru2Blu76
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 7:20 p.m.
"It just warms my heart that people still care," Brian Killewald said" - that sums it up perfectly. That's another thing to love about firefighters: they're always concerned about their community beyond "just" saving lives and property. Kudos to the Superior Township FD: you're all great people.
Natalie Mason
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 6:23 p.m.
I am so filled with joy right now. I saw the signs around the neighborhood and was just disgusted that someone would do this. The Superior Township Fire Department deserves an award. They are also one of the few places in the area that you can get your car seat inspected, a service that i have used twice. Good job guys, I wish I could give you guys a gift!!!
julieswhimsies
Sat, Sep 1, 2012 : 9:42 p.m.
Every once in a while we buy an extra pizza and drop one off at the Fire Station.
music to my ear
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 7:58 p.m.
why not make them dinner and take it to the station, that is a nice gift, those guys have to cook thier own meals
AMOC
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 6:20 p.m.
Very proud to be a Superior Twp resident and enthusiastic supporter of our fire fighters today. This is a great story.
BOBBY
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 6:11 p.m.
good story
Bertha Venation
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 5:10 p.m.
What a great story! It DOES warm the heart. Tell Dad to put a Lo-Jac on that bike.