MAYPORT, Fla. – After the local Fraternal Order of Police on Monday offered to replace a Mayport boy's potentially life-saving device that disappeared in the mail, the $900 seizure monitor was returned, the child's mother said.
Felicia Brock said Tuesday that since her 4-year-old son's device has been located, the Fraternal Order of Police will instead donate another seizure monitor to the charity that sent her family the original one.
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Brock, who lives at the Otter Run Apartments on Assisi Lane, first told News4Jax that her son's seizure monitor disappeared from her mailbox. The device was supposed to alert her if her son has a seizure.
"To be excited to finally get a monitor for him, to have it get taken away, it's heartbreaking. I mean, the emotions, first you're just upset and crying, and then you are angry and mad," Brock said Monday.
Her son, Dylan, is a bundle of energy, but he's dealing with some serious issues -- a brain tumor and seizures.
"His form of epilepsy occurs when he is sleeping," Brock said.
The mother said the family moved from Pennsylvania "because there was better care down here for his condition."
A doctor recommended a SAMi, which is a night-vision camera that detects seizures and alerts parents in another room.
"The monitors are not covered by insurance and they are very pricey," Brock said.
At $900, Brock reached out to a charity, which donated one.
"It could save my child's life," she said.
Brock said she waited for nearly a week for her shipment to come in, looking every day in her apartment complex's mail area. But every time she opened it up, she saw it was empty.
After five days, she knew something was wrong. Brock said she called the local post office, and employees told her it was delivered. Brock said she filed a police report.
"I've got a list for three kids for school supplies, so I don't have $900 just laying around so we can order another one," she said.
A manager at the apartment complex said it's quiet there, and they haven't had any other issues.
Minutes after the story aired on News4Jax at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Steve Zona, president of the Fraternal Order of Police for Jacksonville, reached out.
WATCH ORIGINAL REPORT: Mother says $900 seizure monitor stolen
Zona said he and the board had committed to buying Dylan a replacement monitor system that's valued at $900.
Brock said she was ecstatic and relieved.
"To go from no hope in humanity, to so many people reach out, it's amazing," she said.
The original system was returned to the apartment complex office Tuesday, Brock said. It's unclear whether it had been placed in the wrong box, but the person had it for the week.
Now that the family has the monitor, Brock said, the FOP will donate another camera to the charity that sent the original one -- so another deserving family can get one.
She added that Dylan will have the chance to meet some police officers later this week.