GRESHAM, Ore. (KOIN) — Penelope Jade Askew came into this world July 16 and she is already the darling of her daddy’s eyes.
“Weighed in at 7 pounds even,” Dalan Askew told KOIN 6 News. “She’s perfect in every way.”
Penelope is the 3rd child (and 2nd daughter) for Dalan and his wife, Krysta. “Little fingers, little toes, yeah, the little eye balls is what gets me,” he said.
Tuesday morning, Dalan was getting everything loaded up into the family’s 1990 Subaru Legacy right outside the birthing center at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center for their trip home. He went back into the hospital to grab a few things and spent about 45 minutes inside, he said.
“As I was going out the door I realized our car wasn’t in the spot I put it,” he said. “I was looking around thinking maybe I parked it somewhere else, but I know I didn’t. I know I parked it right up front. My heart sunk and I just didn’t know what to do.”
It wasn’t just that their car — their only car — was gone. It was what was inside that added to the hurt.
Dalan — who works for Walsh Construction Company and is the family’s sole provider — said all his tools and equipment were in the car. Penelope’s baby clothes were also gone.
In a statement, Legacy Health officials said:
“…It was an unfortunate day for this family who is celebrating the birth of their baby. They learned that their car was stolen as they were planning to go home. Legacy Mount Hood Family Birth Center staff responded quickly to offer support to the family to arrange transportation and to provide an infant car seat to make sure they could safely transport their baby home….”
“It was supposed to be a joyous time and that kind of sunk me down. All I could just think about is that, and I got distracted away from my daughter. That was supposed to be the time that was happy,” he said.
But he’s “been letting it go” over the past few days and said he “just can’t dwell” on it. He doesn’t expect to ever see that car or his tools again.
Dalan, 28, and 30-year-old Krysta are staying with his parents in Damascus right now to get help with the baby and to use their car.
“I actually had to take time off from work because I don’t have a vehicle to get to-and-from,” he said.
They’re looking to get another car, but he said having a newborn means “you have other obligations than buying a new car.”
The family set up a GoFundMe page to help gain cash for a new car and defray some clothing expenses for Penelope.
Meanwhile, Dalan has his eyes on the real prize.
Penelope, he said, “is my little angel.”
