"You just touched my whole heart": Bloomington man donates power chair to man battling ALS who had his stolen
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Investigators say they recovered the stolen SUV on Tuesday afternoon that contained a wheelchair belonging to Kyle Schultz, a 26-year-old who lives with ALS.
But the car was stripped of all its parts, and there were still no signs of the wheelchair. However, a new wheelchair is on the way for Schultz, thanks to the kindness of another Minnesotan.
"We noticed a tattoo with the word 'hope' and our foundation is called the O'Neill Foundation of Hope," said Ryan O'Neill, a professional musician from Bloomington. He said he felt a family-like connection with Schultz, who use to manufacture hot tubs before he was diagnosed with ALS.
The foundation on Tuesday bought Schultz a new $3,000 portable electric wheelchair to replace the one that was stolen. He'll get it on Friday.
Schultz needed something portable because he doesn't yet have an accessible minivan. As valuable as that chair is for Schultz's independence, O'Neill and all those who reached out gave them an even more precious gift: hope.
"You just touched my whole heart" said Jodi Halverson, Schultz's mother.
"We love you, we love you. So many people saw the story and everyone is thinking of you and praying for you. The Twin Cities steps up. That's what we're about," O'Neill replied.
Schultz said the first thing he'll do is get some ice cream.
He and his mother hope to purchase a minivan soon. Ramsey County offered to cover the cost of converting it to be handicap accessible.
