NEW BRITAIN, Conn. -- A New Britain teenager who had his expensive insulin pump stolen while he played basketball last week said the company Medtronic has come to his rescue.

Ethan Falla, a 17-year-old diabetic, said he put his insulin pump on a bench at Stanley Quarter Park to play basketball and that when he turned around it was gone.

His family e-mailed Eyewitness News asking for help, and after the story aired, they said, they were inundated with offers of assistance.

"The compassion and the support that we got far outweighs the deliberate selfish acts of one person," said Ethan Falla's father, Greg Falla.

The Fallas said friends, family members and neighbors offered donations and to hold fundraisers. They said one man even offered to give up his own insulin pump.

"I was really surprised that people wanted to help out," Ethan Falla said. "I didn't even know that people would know about it, about diabetes and what a pump is, but everyone was so compassionate and willing to help out."

Then Eyewitness News brought the case to the attention of Kristin Thompson, from Medtronic, the company that made Falla's stolen pump.

Thompson said that on Tuesday, the company sent a new $6,000 pump to Falla, free of charge.

"When I contacted Kristin Thompson, she really took charge and she really got things going for us," Greg Falla said.

"We always strive to ensure that patients have the therapies they need to manage their disease, and are truly delighted that Ethan can remain on insulin pump therapy," Medtronic said in a statement. "The teenager is happy that he can continue to regulate his blood sugar without insulin injections, and he even has a new plan when he's on the court."

"You put the pump inside this little pouch and you strap it to your leg or your waist so it doesn't fall out, so hopefully that works next time," Ethan Falla said. "Yeah, a little more secure than the bench, definitely."

The theft of that insulin pump is still under investigation by police, who ask that anyone with information call the New Britain Police Department.