By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Not all stories have a happy ending, but one circulating around Great Bend last week did. Gentry Ramsey, a teenager at Great Bend High School who suffers from cerebral palsy, had her bike stolen from a Great Bend residence sometime between Sunday afternoon and 8 a.m. the following morning. Gentry's father took the matter to the police. Shelly Duvall, Gentry's mother and a popular coach at GBHS, took the matter to social media. The post had more than 280 shares in just a few hours.
"The community just jumped and came to her rescue," Duvall said. "Everybody was looking for it. I was constantly being asked, 'Could it be here? Could it be here? Have you checked here?' I've never had so many eyes on something for my child because they knew how important it was to her."
Because of her cerebral palsy, Gentry cannot ride a regular two-wheeled bike due to balance issues. Her Vevor Trike included a basket so she could cart things around and do many of the things teenagers do. Throughout Monday, Duvall's phone dinged constantly with possible sightings or offers to help purchase a new trike.
"The community, they were mad that this bike was stolen from her and were willing to do whatever they needed to," said Duvall. "It was just constant, all day. People were sending video and everything. It wasn't just Great Bend, it was Hoisington, Ellinwood, St. John."
Then one of Duvall's former athletes, Colton Brack, called with the best news: the bike had been located in Albert. Colton and his mother, Jeana, offered to return the bike to Gentry, who could barely contain her excitement to get the trike back.
"That's a piece of independence for her that was stolen," said Duvall. "Anyone who has a child with a disability knows how important those things are. It's their freedom. It's their sense of self. For Gentry to get that back, it was a huge deal. Colton, she knows him from school and he's been awesome to her. It was just this big hug and joyous celebration when he pulled in with the truck. He was honking his horn all the way down. It was a pretty cool thing to see."
The video of the Bracks returning the trike to Gentry has been viewed more than 2,000 times on Facebook. Anyone with information about the theft is encouraged to contact the Great Bend Police Department.