Ever since Lee Iacocca's brainchild, the Ford Mustang rolled off the first assembly line in the early 1960s the automobile became in "instant" classic. It became the best-selling car in automotive history. Ford couldn't build them fast enough to keep up with initial demand. I can remember just about ever one of my friends in high school--me included--were dying for one. If some parent drove up to drop their kid off in one--all eyes were drawn to the event. Having owned two of them, including a 1972 edition with just about all the bells and whistles save what was called the "Ram Air" package and I kept it for nine years, put 135,000 miles on it and during that time I had to buy two batteries and one rebuilt alternator. It ran like the well-oiled machine it was and I wish to heaven I still had it. Well, one man got that wish thanks to the Ford Motor Company and some amazing children.
Wesley Ryan of Michigan, like me, loved his 1993 Mustang GT but he love his wife more. When she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer the medical bills began piling up. He had to make the decision to sell his beloved "Christine" as he'd named her (the car, that is) to pay for his wife's treatment. We're glad to say that his wife's treatment was a success but Ryan's children never forgot the sacrifice he made to sell "Christine" for their mother's treatment so they decided to surprise him by buying her back. Question however...where was it? Thanks to modern technology an online search tracked it town to an owner in Texas. The VIN number matched--that was sho-nuff "Christine." Then came the next surprise--still totally unbeknownst to Wesley--Ford found out about it and offered to completely restore the car not only to its original glory but to add all the latest auto technology as well with a brand new engine, complete interior overhaul, new transmission and paint job. You know, Ford Motor Company, one of those evil uncaring corporations the Dembulbs and left always want to throw under the bus (to mix metaphors).
Ryan's kids and his wife led him outside blindfolded as Ford delivered the car. When the mask was removed Wesley Ryan turned into a bag of soiled laundry! He was speechless for a moment as tears streamed down his face. "It's still her," he cried, "she's got a new heart...I don't know, I'm at a loss for words. It's beautiful." There's a reason Wesley was at a loss for words because a gesture of love of this magnitude has no adequate words. No language on earth, no dictionary contains them. This is a gift from the heart not of money. This story is so touching we need to see more of them, especially in this era of mass shootings and hate groups that dominate the news. The other happy ending to this story is that Ryan's wife has been cancer-free for 13 years! Great kids and corporate compassion from Ford.