Thieves steal money raised for kidney transplant at NC business

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (WNCN) — An Edgecombe County woman spent two months running a raffle to raise money for her daughter-in-law’s kidney transplant.

Becky Joyner said all the money is gone after someone broke into her Rocky Mount bait and tackle shop and stole it.

“It just broke my heart,” she said.

The window screen was broken.

“Whoever it was came in that window. How they pried that window open and got in here I do not know,” Joyner said.

She added that the cash register wasn’t touched. She didn’t notice any merchandise missing. Joyner said what was taken was even more meaningful.

“I have stage four kidney disease. I am two points away from total renal failure, and I am in desperate need of a life-saving kidney transplant,” said Stephanie Joyner.

Stephanie said that, even with insurance, her medical bills are adding up. She estimates the cost to be more than $20,000.

So her mother-in-law started a raffle in her store.

“We’re trying to make money every way we can to help,” Becky Joyner said. She had made $220, all of which was kept in a tin. She found it empty Tuesday morning.

“It took me so long,” she continued. “Two months over two months, just to save that little bit.”

The Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office said it’s investigating this robbery, but has no leads as of Tuesday evening.

“There are thousands of people like me that need life-saving organs; that need money for medicine or treatment, and people take advantage of that by stealing it,” Stephanie Joyner said.

The two both hope that whoever stole the money will do the right thing and return it.