Heartless Vandals Destroy Handicapped Boy’s Mach 1

Regardless of age, when you’re a car enthusiast like Nino Welcome and his folks, you’re constantly thinking about your prized possession. In the case of Nino and his family, their apple of their eye was a fully restored 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1. Nino, being just seven years old, is confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life due to a debilitating disease he suffers from.

He pretty much brings sunshine to everybody’s life. He makes everyone smile. — Tonia Welcome, Nino’s Mother

However, that hasn’t stopped this young man from being just as much of a Mustang enthusiast as any of us – nor should it. According to the Springfield News-Leader, Nino’s Mach 1 was “restored by his grandfather, Fred Welcome of Ozark, who gave it to the boy on his birthday in May.”

Nino might have to install hand controls to drive his prized possession one day, but that has never stopped him from enjoying his ’Stang every chance he got. Unfortunately for the time being, it looks as if for Nino, his father Brett and his mother Tonia Welcome, won’t be driving his Mach 1 anytime soon. Last Thursday, it was discovered by a neighbor that the Mustang had been vandalized by an unknown assailant.

According to the Springfield News-Leader, the unknown vandal has popped open a small vent window of the family’s Mustang and had tossed a series of fireworks where the car was parked in the driveway, quickly fleeing after. It goes without saying that this was a sad and disgusting act — an unjust one that we are sure Nino and the Welcome family did not deserve.

“It occupies his mind day and night,” Brett Welcome told the paper. “When I get home from work, he asks me if we need to go to the store. He asks, ‘Can we take the Mustang?” Brett said. When Nino received his latest wheelchair, which was custom finished in an Orange and Black hue to match his ’70 Mach 1, he fittingly named the new set of wheels “Mach II” in order to pay homage to his classic Mustang.

“I just want whoever did this caught,” Tonia Welcome added.

As noted earlier, Nino suffers from a condition called Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. This condition causes many side effects due to a buildup of excess uric acid, and Nino’s condition, amongst other side effects, causes him to try to injure himself when under stress.

Thankfully, Nino is taking this time of distress in stride. “Nino is the sweetest little seven-year-old boy in the world that I’ve ever seen,” Brett told Steve Pokin in an interview. “He pretty much brings sunshine to everybody’s life. He makes everyone smile.” Tonia Welcome said. The welcome family is hoping that the insurance company will aid them in restoring Nino’s 1970 Mach 1, pending that the original frame can be saved.

The Welcome family has not asked for any help outside of their own auto insurance company investigating the damage, but we could like to encourage anyone reading this story to reach out to us in hopes that the Mustang community can come together to help this family restore their Mach 1. After all, we are all one big Mustang family!