An NDG father is rejoicing this afternoon after his stolen van, outfitted to meet the needs of his eight-year-old son in a wheelchair, was found.

Carlos Ruiz got a phone call from police Tuesday telling him the van was located in a scrapyard in Ville Saint-Pierre.

"I feel very happy because finally we have the van back again, and life can come back to normal again...Fernando will be very, very happy," Ruiz told CBC minutes after he found out the van was found.

The call came one day after Ruiz noticed the adapted van was missing. On Monday morning, Ruiz looked outside to check the weather, and discovered it wasn't in its usual parking spot on Decarie Boulevard between Sherbrooke St. and De Maisonneuve Boulevard.

He used the 1993 Dodge van to drive around his son, Fernando, who has disabilities and uses a wheelchair.

Fernando is unable to walk or speak and other than a school bus, the van was his only form of transportation.

Neighbours' media campaign successful

Fernando Ruiz uses the van to go to his weekly medical appointments. (Sophie Giroux) launched an online campaign to find the van. After seeing Ruiz upset early in the week, neighbour Sophie Giroux stepped in and

“I could see how upset he was. My first reaction was, 'You know what Carlos, whoever took this, I hope something bad happens to them. And he said, ‘No Sophie, you can’t think like that. You have to stay positive.”

She spread the message widely on Facebook — and the campaign was a success.

Someone who saw the van parked in the scrapyard recognized it from a picture on Facebook.

Some items inside the van were stolen, including the TV, DVD player and the car seat.

The van has now been returned to the family.