Veteran's $90,000 prosthetic arm stolen
By TIM GULLA Ledger Staff Writer tim@gaffneyledger.com

A Virginia family spending the night in a Gaffney motel lost a lot more than they bargained for to an apparent one-armed bandit.

A thief broke a lock on their truck tailgate and stole two bags, one of which contained a myoelectric prosthetic arm and artificial hand valued at approximately $90,000. The custom made prosthetic belongs to a 58-year-old Vietnam War veteran who lost his arm in a 1970 helicopter crash.

Thomas Robertson and his wife, Vicki, were spending the night in Gaffney on their way to their first vacation in three years. Their trip to Florida was long overdue, Vicki Robertson said, as her husband has suffered from recurrent illnesses over the years because of his exposure to chemicals during the war.

They stopped at the Holiday Inn Express on Winslow Avenue in Gaffney around 7 p.m. on Wednesday and discovered the break-in of their truck at about 8:45 a.m. Thursday.

"He's the only one who can use (the arm)," Vicki Robertson said of her husband's prosthetic. "He (just) got it in September and he's still learning how to use it."

The custom-made arm, which uses special sensors that allow the wearer to control it, was made in Vienna, Austria. Vicki Robertson is hoping it will be returned or found intact.

"I just want the arm back," she said. "That's all I want."

She feared the thief will throw it in a dumpster or discard it haphazardly. It can be ruined by water. If any repairs are needed it will have to be shipped back to Austria.

The Robertsons had also reported the theft of $1,000 in electronics, including a Lowrance GPS unit and a Lowrance fish finder, as well as a suitcase with an estimated $1,000 in clothing.

Undeterred, they continued towards their vacation destination on Thursday.

"We made up our minds we're going," Vicki Robertson said. "We're not going to let it spoil our time. They took from me my husband's arm and my clothes, they're not going to take away our joy."