Daithí has spent seven years waiting on a life-saving heart transplant, and along with his family has campaigned relentlessly to raise awareness and uptake of organ donation in Northern Ireland.
A wheelchair Daithí relies upon for support was in the car when it was stolen, along with a number of Christmas presents, his parents Mairtín and Seph have said.
It’s hard not to feel that something really special has been taken from us
Officers from the PSNI’s Auto Crime Team spotted the vehicle in the Andersonstown area of west Belfast on Wednesday afternoon, before blocking the vehicle in at the Kennedy Centre.
Footage circulating on social media appears to show the driver trying to escape officers by attempting to drive up a grass embankment.
In a statement, Sergeant Quinn from Woodbourne’s Local Policing Team said the car was stolen from an address shortly after 9am on Wednesday.
“A further report came in around 12:00pm of a suspicious vehicle in the Falls Road area, on police attendance it was noted to be the stolen vehicle. In an attempt to stop it, two police vehicles and a car belonging to a member of the public have been damaged.
“A 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and a number of driving related offences. A 35-year-old woman and a 43-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods. They all remain in custody at this time.”
In a message posed on the Donate 4 Daithí social media pages, they thanked the local community for their support following the theft.
“In the early hours of this morning, our family car was stolen. We’re absolutely devastated, especially at this time of year,” they said.
“What makes this even harder is that Dáithí’s wheelchair was in the car. He’s now left without it, which has a real impact on his day to day life.
A wheelchair used by Daithí was in the car at the time of the theft
“We won’t go into too much detail, but this is being treated seriously and the police are investigating. We’re sharing this to make people in the area aware and to ask everyone to stay vigilant.
“Like many families, Christmas presents were in the car too. We won’t let this ruin the magic for Dáithí, but it’s hard not to feel that something really special has been taken from us.
“We want to say thank you to the community in Ballymurphy for the messages, the support, and for looking out for one another. It means more than people realise. Thank you as well to the PSNI and to Councillor Michael Donnelly for their help this morning.
A car belonging to the family of west Belfast boy Daithí Mac Gabhann has been stolen in west Belfast.
News Catch Up – Wednesday 17 December
“If anyone has seen or heard anything that might help, please contact the police directly.
“We’ll keep going. We always do.”