NATCHEZ — Stan Smith knew that Chloe Sander used her iPad for more than just the occasional game or surfing the web.

So when Smith heard that someone had broken into Sander’s house and stolen several things — including her iPad — he knew he couldn’t let it pass.

Sander, 11, lives with her mother, Heather, and is currently a student at West Elementary School in Natchez. Chloe suffers from apraxia, which is a disorder of the brain and nervous system in which a person is unable to perform tasks or certain motor movements.

“Chloe uses the iPad as a tool to get her thoughts down, communicate and for general education purposes,” Heather said. “It was recommended to us by an occupational therapist and it’s really helped her with the ability to plan and process things.”

Heather grew up in Ontario, Canada, but often vacationed in Natchez with her parents. She and Chloe only recently moved back to Natchez nearly a year ago to their Main Street house.

“I went to Canada a few weeks ago and a friend was going to come lock the door to the house after a contractor came to look at something we needed fixed,” Heather said. “He came in and noticed Chloe’s iPad sitting on the kitchen table and wondered why she hadn’t taken it with her.

“Well, he came back a few days later and noticed it was gone.”

When Heather returned two weeks ago, she said only a few things appeared to be missing — her phone, Chloe’s iPad and a set of keys.

“I couldn’t help but feel a little insecure in my house after that,” Heather said. “Because my keys were gone, I couldn’t help feeling like someone might be coming back.”

Word of the burglary at Heather’s house soon reached a group of friends she rides bikes with every week. The cyclists meet at Stan’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Bike Shop and ride through various parts of town.

“We’re really a tight bunch and some of us go to church together, so we just tend to always be looking out for each other,” Heather said. “Some of them saw it on my Facebook and asked me about it later, but I didn’t think anything of it.”

Smith said he began asking some of Heather’s friends and fellow riders — somewhat discreetly — if they’d be interested in making a donation to help buy Chloe a new iPad.

“I couldn’t just go put it on Facebook, so I had to get messages to everyone individually so it could be a surprise,” Smith said. “I knew of Chloe’s special needs and how much that iPad meant to her and that it shouldn’t an expense they needed to deal with to replace.”

After collecting enough money from the riders, Smith was prepared to surprise Heather and Chloe with the donation.

“I hadn’t planned on going to ride that Monday, but one of the girls called me and asked if could swing by anyway,” Heather said. “When we were on our way, Chloe looked at me and said, ‘I’m kind of suspicious about this.’

“Everyone was very empathic about the situation, and we’re just so grateful to have them think of us like that.”

Heather said after receiving the donation she’s been researching a variety of tablets and even laptops that she thinks will help Chloe refine her typing skills, while also continuing to develop her motor skills.

“We’ve been teaching her on the keyboard and she knows which fingers go on the keys, but she just loves the touch screen,” Heather said. “I’m looking at getting one that has both a keyboard and a touch screen.

“I’ll buy it and have everything setup before I give it to her.”

The opportunity to purchase a new device for Chloe, Heather said, likely wouldn’t have happened without Smith and the other rider’s generosity.

“The whole group is so great, but Stan in particular has always been a nice guy to both of us,” Heather said. “Sometimes, I’ll take Chloe in his shop just to get a hug from him if she’s having a bad day.”

Smith said asking for and collection the donation was something he enjoyed doing for the Sander family.

“It’s all about paying it forward and trying to foster that feeling that we’re more than just a bike club but that we all look out for each other here,” Smith said.