In happier times; Barry Rice's bike is a lifeline for him, allowing him get around despite his nerve-wasting condition. But now it's been stolen.
A Dublin man is appealing for the return of a specialist recumbent bike that enables him get around despite suffering from a rare nerve wasting condition.
Barry Rice (33) uses the bike to commute between his home in Raheny on Dublin’s north side and his place of work in Monkstown on the other side of the city.
The Catrike Expedition Recumbent Tricycle is worth €3,000 but would have no black market value.
However, it is a lifeline for Mr Rice, who suffers from Friedrich's Ataxia; a neuromuscular disease resulting in progressive damage to the nervous system.
“The condition affects a wide range of bodily functions including muscle control and coordination,” he said.
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“I have great difficulty walking because of a lack of balance and use a wheelchair or my trike to get around.”
The bike was stolen sometime between last Sunday night and Monday morning from an underground car park in Raheny.
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“This is a devastating blow for me as the trike feels like a part of who I am,” Mr Rice said.
The bike was taken from The Watermill Apartments in Raheny.
It was given to him by the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) as a reward for his work in fundraising and raising awareness about the condition.
Without the bike, the father of one will be unable to make his daily commute to the family business in Monkstown and enjoy the freedom cycling gives him.
He will also be forced to arrange a replacement bike, which will prove expensive and may take a long time.
Mr Rice believes the bike was probably dumped by whoever took it after they realised it was of no value on the resale market.
Anybody with any information is asked to contact Raheny Garda Station on (01) 6664300or Mr Rice on 087 9235814.
Keep an eye out folks; it has to be out there somewhere.
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