A stolen wheelchair has been returned to its rightful owner, a Houston resident and Blink-182 fan, whose lifeline was taken during a concert at the Frost Bank Center. KSAT reports that Tara Ryan's custom wheelchair, essential for her mobility due to a rare condition known as Friedreich’s Ataxia, went missing on June 24, “While we are thankful for the return of my custom wheelchair, we are saddened that it happened in the first place. Having been diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a form of muscular dystrophy, my wheelchair is essentially an extension of my body,” Ryan said.
Following the incident, Ryan and her fiancé discovered the missing piece of equipment absent only after departing the venue, compounding the distress of the loss. A GoFund pillar was subsequently launched to offset the steep $10,000 expense that would come with purchasing a new custom wheelchair, Ryan shared her plight on social media stating, “I use it 24/7. And I’m devastated,” according to a San Antonio Express-News report.
The story took a positive turn when firefighters from Northern Bexar County Emergency Services District found the wheelchair while doing yard work, recognizing it as possibly the same one reported stolen. Bexar County Fire Marshal Chris Lopez expressed contentment in aiding the return of the wheelchair, urging anyone with information to reach out, commenting, “It brings me joy to be able to assist and return the missing wheelchair to its rightful owner. We will continue our investigation and ask anyone who may have a tip to please call our office at 210-335-0300,” as described in the statement obtained by KSAT.
Ryan's wheelchair was fortuitously returned to her, with her GoFund remaining active in case repairs are needed, and her family checking the wheelchair for damage, the situation was an emotional whirlwind for Ryan and her loved ones but thankfully culminated in relief with their upcoming wedding in November no longer overshadowed by this incident, because according to Ryan's mother, “Tara is my daughter and it has been a very emotional week for all of us, but especially for her. We can’t thank you enough for making sure she received it back,” as she told San Antonio Express-News.
