GoFundMe page is established to replace disabled teen’s stolen dune buggy

Donations are coming in to replace a stolen dune buggy that was a source of joy for a severely disabled Independence teenager.

Fourteen people had donated more than $500 as of Wednesday afternoon through a GoFundMe page set up for 17-year-old Johnathan Brende, who is non-verbal and quadriplegic. The goal to replace the souped-up buggy is $3,000.

Brende’s mother, Tonni Brende, said he loves Harley-Davidson motorcycles and riding as a passenger in the dune buggy is as close as he can get to that experience.

The buggy was stolen overnight Monday from the backyard of the Brendes’ Independence home in the Kentucky Hills neighborhood.

This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 10:23 AM with the headline "GoFundMe page is established to replace disabled teen’s stolen dune buggy."