It takes a special kind of lowlife to steal from a children’s cancer charity. But that’s exactly what happened in Tennessee. Thieves made off with two custom-built SUVs from the Austin Hatcher Foundation, a nonprofit that helps pediatric cancer patients. The kids (all cancer patients), and their families had spent months working on these vehicles as part of a therapy program. The charity planned to auction the SUVs, with the proceeds funding free services for families battling cancer. Instead, thieves nabbed, stripped, and abandoned the two vehicles.

Not for joyrides. Not to resell. Just to rip off the wheels and accessories before dumping them in the woods.

“The vehicles were stripped, heavily damaged, and totaled,” said the cancer charity foundation in an update after police recovered them. The stolen vehicles— a 2018 Ford Explorer Sport and a 2019 Rugged Ridge Baja Jeep Wrangler—were discovered in a wooded area near Rossville Boulevard. “In addition to stealing the vehicles, the foundation’s trailer was destroyed, a number of vehicle parts were found damaged, and the fence was torn through.”

The police are after the criminals who stole the SUVs from a cancer charity

The police arrested one suspect, 53-year-old David Charles Chatman. Authorities charged him with multiple counts of theft, vandalism, and burglary. Another suspect remains at large.

The true loss isn’t the vehicles—it’s what they represented. The kids and their families put in hours of work, installing modifications, painting, and detailing the SUVs. The therapy program gives them an outlet, a sense of accomplishment, and a chance to build something bigger than themselves. And now someone has stolen that chance.

“We are devastated to lose this funding opportunity, but we are even more heartbroken to face the fact that someone stole these vehicles that our patients and families put so much hard work into,” the cancer charity foundation wrote.

In the past, auctioned vehicles raised around $225,000 for pediatric cancer support. That’s money that covers counseling, education programs, and recovery services—completely free of charge. Stealing these SUVs didn’t just hurt the foundation. It stole resources from kids and families already fighting the hardest battle of their lives.

But here’s the thing: cancer hasn’t beaten these kids, and neither will some bottom-feeder looking for a quick score. The cancer charity foundation isn’t giving up. A generous donor funded a new build. The foundation is working on a 2020 Gladiator Rubicon IASO. It plans to auction this project in place of the stolen SUVs. The thieves might have trashed this round, but they didn’t kill the spirit behind it. The kids are starting over. And that’s a success story that can inspire us all.