EUCLID, Ohio, Posted 10:58 p.m. August 28, 1998 -- Teddy Engle of Euclid doesn't have a mother or father.

Cerebral palsy took away his legs, and lack of money has him living a lonely life of seclusion. But NewsChannel5 reports the power of love overcame all that.

It came in the form of a grandmother's gift. About five months ago, a friend of Engle's watched NewsChannel5, and saw the name of Thelma Porris on a long list of people with unclaimed funds.

Porris is Engle's grandmother, a loving and caring woman who died ten years ago.

But before she died, she set up a trust fund. Tonight it finally paid off.

Almost all of Engle's life has been spent in a rickety old hospital bed that won't even crank up.

Engle, 36, has had cerebral palsy all his life, and has never known what it's like to walk.

"I can lay on my bed on my side," Engle told NewsChannel5.

Other than his bed, Engle has only a rusty wheel chair, that he rarely gets the opportunity to use. It barely works.

Engle said his parents left him. Mary Elby is his legal guardian, and has taken care of him for more than eight years.

Their future could become much brighter after tonight.

"We present you this check for $68,898." With those words, Cuyahoga County Treasurer Jim Rokakis gave Engle a new lease on life from Ohio's unclaimed funds division.

Engle said he already knows where some of it will go. "I want to get a hospital bed, and I heard you guys are going digital, so I need a digital T.V.," Engle told NewsChannel5.

Engle's grandmother, Thelma Porris set up a certificate of deposit for his care. It was lost for 10 years -- until now.

"This was left for you by your late grandmother," Rokakis said. "We want to thank Channel Five. Through their efforts we contacted the family."

Engle is more than grateful. "I love my granny Thelma so much. Thanks, granny. I know you're up in heaven. Miracles do come true."

NewsChannel5 credits Gina Petritas at the treasurer's office for getting the funds back to Engle. Petritas did much of the painstaking research to track the money down.

There are currently about 1.7 million people who are owed $180 million in the state of Ohio alone.

To Check for Unclaimed Funds:

• In Cuyahoga County, call (216) 443-7466.
• Check the Commerce Department's Website In Ohio