A single father from Riverdale, Utah, claimed that his four-year-old son's life-saving kidney medication was stolen from their porch, according to Wednesday reports. The three-month supply of medication was delivered to the man's home, but it was taken a week before Christmas by porch pirates, a thief who steals packages from another person's doorstep. The medicine is reportedly valued at $5,000.

Cody Taylor, a single father, has had son Austin Taylor's medication delivered to his doorstep without complication for years. Taylor, therefore, didn't expect to become a victim of porch pirating. He was preparing to take out a loan against his car to cover the cost of the pricey medication, but his insurance company covered a new supply.

"He's my little miracle. He's my hero. Because of everything he's gone through, I can't complain about life," Taylor said to KSTU. "He's so strong and always fighting."

After suffering from stage 5 kidney failure at birth, doctors believed Austin's final days were numbered. Taylor was initially told his son has a 25 percent chance of living past three months, but he's exceeded their predictions. His son was the recipient of a kidney transplant two years ago, which saved his life. The procedure even increased his overall life expectancy.

"1,461...This is the number of days Austin has gone beyond the doctor's life expectancy," Taylor wrote of his son's illness in an August Facebook post. "1,461 days full of smiles trials and accomplishments, of progress and setbacks, of tears, fear and hope. 1,461 days of being thrown up on. All the trials seem so small when we look at what he has done."

"He is taking, walking and eating. 3 things the doctors said he would never do. He watches and learns, and tries so hard to normal. This has been our smoothest year yet, with so much to look forward to," Taylor added.

In a world dominated by online deliveries, porch pirating has become a common practice. The holiday season has been an opportune time for this as dozens of people complete the Christmas shopping online. United Parcel Service (UPS) expects to deliver 750 million packages this season, but a spokesperson for the delivery company doesn't see it becoming rising trend. A lot of cases of this caliber aren't always reported, however.

There are ways to prevent package theft such as requiring a signature with each delivery, installing a security camera or having it dropped off at a lockbox. Amazon Key also provides a service to customers that would give delivery drivers the ability to enter a home to drop off a package.

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