Cash raised in hours for Sheffield girl mugged in wheelchair
- Published
Ella Rose's phone was snatched from her hand as she sat in a wheelchair outside a supermarket
About £1,000 has been raised in just a few hours to buy a new phone for a girl who was mugged in her wheelchair.
Ella Rose's phone was snatched from her hand by a man on West Street in Sheffield on Tuesday.
Her father Jack said the 17-year-old had had only just started to go out again as she has been shielding due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He tweeted about what happened, external, and his message was retweeted by BBC presenter Dan Walker, who knows the family.
Mr Rose said his daughter, who has spina bifida, has a personal assistant to support her transition into adulthood and independent living, as she has complex needs.
"She is quite innocent, quite naive, she's a young 17," he explained.
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He said his daughter's assistant had nipped into a supermarket when the "opportunist just took a chance to run off with her phone".
"She is very sheltered - nothing like this happened before. She was pretty shaken and she couldn't give much detail."
The BBC's Dan Walker, who also lives in Sheffield, said Ella was "amazing and wonderful" and hoped people would be able to help.
A family friend organised a crowdfunding page and the response has been wonderful, Mr Rose said.
"We will just get her a mid-range iPhone (like she had before) and donate the rest," he added.
The extra money will go to the Sheffield Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, which has supported Ella throughout her life.
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