- The Nelson family's van was stolen in Portland, Oregon, during their vacation.
- The van had camping gear, luggage, backpacks, beach equipment, bikes, a stroller and a car seat in it, among other things.
- Despite the theft, the Spanish Fork family has since rented another van and continued their trip.
PORTLAND — What was supposed to be a summer adventure took an unexpected turn for a Spanish Fork family.
Jerom and Cassidy Nelson packed up six of their children and headed out on a family road trip, hoping to make memories together before major life changes arrive.
"We have six kids here with us, and we have a daughter starting college and two daughters going on mission," Cassidy Nelson said. "So, this was going to be our last, last hurrah trip before our family scatters."
The family loaded nearly everything they needed into their 12-passenger van: camping gear, luggage, backpacks, beach equipment, bikes, a stroller and a car seat. As Jerom Nelson described it, they were heading out with a "mini traveling city."
The family stopped at a hotel in Portland, Oregon, last Thursday evening.
"We knew our bikes would be a target," Cassidy Nelson said. "So, we had them locked with a locking hitch and backed up against, like, a fence."
But sometime during the night, a thief or thieves didn't take the bikes. They took everything.
Hotel security video shows someone driving away with the family's van while they slept.
The next morning, they found out what had happened.
"We went down to breakfast with all of our kids and looked out the window and our van was gone," Cassidy Nelson said.
"I'm like, 'Did you move the van? That's where we parked it, right? Did you move it?' I didn't move it," Jerom Nelson said. "It was kind of surreal for like, 10 minutes. We just couldn't figure out what happened."
The Nelsons knew the van was gone, but couldn't imagine who would do such a thing.
For Jerom Nelson, one of the hardest parts is knowing whoever stole the van could clearly see it belonged to a family.
"They could see that there's a car seat in there. We got all kids stuff. We got kids bikes back there," he said. "Like, that's just heartless, you know?"
"It is really sad," Cassidy Nelson said. "Our boys earned money. They've worked for a year to earn money for these lacrosse sticks and those are in there. It's not worth anything to the people who took our car, but it's worth so much to our family. That's the part that's really sad."
The case is now an active investigation with the Portland Police Bureau.
Despite the loss, the Nelson family decided not to let the theft end their trip.
Instead of heading home, they rented another van and continued their vacation.
"The next day, my mom called and said, 'I just keep thinking, this is the time you show your kids that bad things happen, and you keep going,'" Cassidy Nelson said. "'You're not going to let it stop you. And if you go home, you're just going to be sad.'"
That message became the family's plan. Not because the loss doesn't hurt, but because they want their children to learn that difficult moments don't have to define them.
"Material things don't really matter in the end of things, you know?" Jerom Nelson said. "We're all safe. We're all together. So that's what's most important."
It's a life lesson that will last far longer than any vacation.
A family friend has set up a *GoFundMe to help the family.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
