Callous thieves broke into the home of a teenage amputee and made off with the girl's artificial leg, her family said Wednesday.
California schoolgirl Melissa Huff, 16, was horrified to find that the heartless burglars had not only stolen a haul of loot including cash and valuables, but had also helped themselves to her leg.
"It's cruel, because what can they do with the leg?" said Melissa's mother, Lisa Huff. "They took other things of value -- money and stuff -- but the leg has no value to them," she told Los Angeles' KCAL 9 television.
Melissa lost her right leg two years ago when a driver lost control of his car and ploughed into her as she stood on the pavement in front of her Los Angeles-area school.
Although she has other replacement legs, the prosthetic device that the burglars took is a special shock absorbent "sports leg" with a flexible foot that allows her to play softball.
"That's my favourite leg," she said. "We need to really find it because I won't be able to play softball without it. We have a leg in the making, but it is really uncomfortable, so I rely on that leg all the time," she told KCAL 9.
A local financial company has offered between 5,000 and 9,000 dollars to pay for a new leg for the girl, reports said.