No doubt there’s a special place for those thieving cold-hearted opportunists who care not one iota about the impact their selfish ways have on their victims.
Unfortunately, even punishment by hell-fire isn’t likely to bring back Gilles Comeau’s “lifeline,” stolen from his home recently while he was at an appointment.
Gilles has had a lengthy battle with health issues the last few years. His wife, Sherrel, is the sole breadwinner for the couple, who are faced with the additional costs associated with serious illness.
“He had noticed two years ago that he had a lot of congestion and he couldn’t talk anymore. He kept going to the doctor, different doctors and ... we found out that it was cancer,” Sherrel said.
Gilles was diagnosed with throat cancer and he hasn’t been able to work since 2010.
He subsequently had a laryngectomy — removal of his larynx (also called voice box). He now breathes through his neck in a special hole called a stoma, created by surgery. This is also how he speaks, with a special tube inserted in the stoma.
Gilles has had numerous operations since the diagnosis and other problems, including heart issues, have occurred.
Recently, he underwent 30 treatments of oxygen chamber therapy at the Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton to help him.
“He’s been through hell as far as I’m concerned,” said Sherrel.
Last spring the couple, both 58, were able to try out a more normal activity for the first time in awhile. They had bought a second-hand trailer to go camping. But in order to do that, Gilles needed a guaranteed electricity source to run the oxygen machine he must constantly be on.
So they bought a generator that cost more than $600 to take along camping to supply the power for the machine.
Gilles pulls along an oxygen tank if he goes fishing for a short while, or out to anything else away from power, but normally he is on the oxygen machine 24/7.
The couple don’t use campsites with power because they are expensive — hence the generator, which will run without fail.
Sherrel said they were looking forward to camping this year because Gilles is slowly getter past his surgeries and other treatments.
But then on Feb. 18, Gilles returned home after an appointment to find their overhead garage door wide open.
He soon discovered their new generator had been stolen. He had been gone 45 minutes or less.
“The look on Gilles face. He was just devastated. He was just devastated. He said, ‘That’s my lifeline!’ like when we want to get away from the house and go camping,” Sherrel said.
The theft prompted her to send a letter to The Advocate:
“Did you wonder where the new generator came from? Did your husband or boyfriend say that they got it to go camping this summer? ... Someone came and got it out of our garage and took it away from us! My husband and I would like to enjoy camping this summer but that is going to be difficult because he needs that generator to power his oxygen machine that allows him to breathe! He has been battling cancer for the past year and a half and we have endured many obstacles along the way so I can’t understand how anyone can be so cruel. I know you may not have known what we have been through so if you know anything about this robbery, please, please do your duty and give it back. It is a yellow and black Power It 5300 9.5 hp generator. ... call 403-304-9520.”
Sherrel said their insurance deductible is $500 so they have not made a claim. They have reported the theft to police.
“Every time we turn around there’s always costs ... which we’re lucky because there’s some things that can be reimbursed ... he’s on financial assistance because he hasn’t been working, and I don’t make that much money.
“It’s hard to replace because we just bought it last year and it was something that we wanted so we put the money out but now we’ve got to put the money out again.”
Sherrel is an education assistant at Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School. Gilles was a self-employed handyman.
“He’s finally starting to come around to where he’s kind of feeling a little more human than he has in a long time because he’s dealt with so many other things,” said Sherrel. “He’s still doctoring with all of these issues because he just went back to Edmonton the other day because his speaking valve was leaking. ... He had to get a new speaking valve put in,” said Sherrel, sounding tired because she has been fighting off a cold.
“I’m feeling really worn today.”
Before the generator was taken, someone threw a rock through the Comeaus’ trailer window, which they had to repair, and also broke into the trailer’s compartments, making off with fishing rods and waders.
The thieves are always out there. They have no shame. They are heartless.
barr@www.reddeeradvocate.com