A doting husband who sold his beloved Ford Mustang 17 years ago in order to pay for his wife’s cancer treatment had the car gifted back to him by his children.
Wesley Ryan broke down in tears in the middle of a Kohl’s parking lot in San Antonio, Texas, as the 1993 Mustang he once dubbed Christine arrived on a trailer three weeks ago.
Son Jake Ryan, who bought the car along with sister Jeni and her boyfriend, documented the emotional event in a Facebook post which has since been shared thousands of times.
Wesley Ryan breaks down in tears as children Jack and Laura reunite him with the prized 1993 Ford Mustang he sold to pay for his wife’s cancer treatment
Wesley sold the car 17 years ago and had forgotten all about it until his son told him to go to a Kohl’s parking lot in San Antonio for a surprise, before arriving with it on a trailer
Wife Laura also enjoyed the moment, having been cancer-free for 13 years.
In the post, Jake said that ‘anyone who knew my dad back in the day in his heyday knew this car and knew how much it meant to him.’
Speaking to the San Antonio Express-News, he recalled riding around in a booster seat in the front while watching his dad drive.
But in the early 2000s wife Laura, his high-school sweetheart, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
With doctor’s bills mounting up, Wesley decided to sell his most prized possession to pay for treatment.
‘I came home one day, I walked into the garage, looked at her and said it was time for her to go,’ Wesley said.
‘I remember seeing her drive off and I was trying to be the big man and not let it bother me.’
The tearful moment was shared by Wesley’s wife Laura, who has been cancer-free for 13 years
Wesley had dubbed the car Christine and says he is now looking forward to getting the vehicle back up and running with the help of his son
Jake recalled the moment as ‘one of the biggest sacrifices I’ve seen him have to make for us, for all of us.
‘I know how much it broke him in half seeing that car drive away from him. A day I’ll never forget.’
A couple of years ago Jake happened across the car while browsing Craigslist, but was unable to close a deal.
However, a few weeks ago the car reappeared so he contacted the owner.
In a sad twist of fate, she was also selling the car because her mother was suffering from ovarian cancer and needed treatment.
Jake, Jeni and her boyfriend clubbed together to buy the car and on August 31st they told Wesley to get himself to a Kohl’s parking lot close to their home for a surprise.
Emotional video captures the moment Wesley lays eyes on his beloved vehicle, breaking down into tears.
He said: ‘They told me “Dad, we can never repay you,” but it was never about repaying me.
‘I tell them, “be successful, be productive, pay it forward.” What they did for me shows where they are: they are balanced human beings.
‘My wife and I have succeeded, we’ve raised productive adults, it’s the strongest, most-powerful feeling that a parent can have.’