MACON, Ga. — Katie McKinney just can't catch a break.
Within a nine month period, the cars in her driveway were broken into not once but twice.
Early Monday morning, McKinney and her boyfriend were woken up by the sound of their doorbell at their home in West Macon.
When they went to check to see who was at the door, no one was there. Her boyfriend went outside to see if he could find who it was and realized someone had broken into his truck and one of McKinney's cars was stolen.
Right now, she is on a break from chemotherapy after hurting her wrist while working as a paramedic. She says, even through all the struggles, she hasn't given up. The person helping her stay strong is her daughter, Avery.
"I believe actions speak louder than words. I can't tell her not to give up if I do. Also, if I don't get up and get moving, I can't do my job," McKinney said.
Along with the car, the thieves took a car seat and McKinney's mother's SLR camera and kit.
In September 2023, 13WMAZ reported McKinney's car being broken into while she was on chemotherapy. They stole about $8,000 worth of her belongings, including her medications, money, and her paramedic gear. She says it's disheartening that someone would do this again to her and her family.
"When it rains, it pours, it seems like one thing after another and constantly something going on," McKinney said.
McKinney was supposed to lend the car to a friend and now she says she can't because it's gone. In September, McKinney said Bibb County deputies told her "it was a bunch of teenagers" who were breaking into homes in the area.
When McKinney moved into the West Macon neighborhood, her home had a motion-detect security light in their driveway. The hope was for it to stop someone from breaking in. She says because she's working less, she can't afford to get a security system right now.
Her daughter Aver says seeing her mom go through this is upsetting and she just wants her family to be safe.
"Probably frustrating that mom got mad and frustrated about it too," Avery said.
Their coping mechanism is gardening and are using that to destress. They hope investigators can find their car. For now, they'll stay positive and focus on the joy that is right in their backyard.
"When things like this happen. It's devastating," McKinney said.