‘If you could just catch a break’: The Auto & Tire Doctor gifts Tahoma man 2007 Jeep

Thomas Brown has a huge heart and a wicked sense of humor.

The 66-calendar year-aged spends his days residing in Tahoma, caring for his two more mature sons that are dependent upon him and a pair of grandchildren he and his spouse adopted — a method he states is like herding cats, but more difficult.

A number of months in the past, on the other hand, a series of tragic activities remaining the family members devastated and in need of enable. In September, Brown was in a motor vehicle incident.

That would pale in comparison to what would happen in the course of the future two months.

After getting insurance plan dollars for the totaled motor vehicle, Brown explained he and his spouse, Rhonda, were being organizing a journey to Sacramento to pick out a new auto, but she began experience ill. She would afterwards be admitted to Tahoe Forest Hospital.

“Two days later on, she died,” mentioned Brown, incorporating that his wife of far more than 40 many years had persistent obstructive pulmonary condition and caught COVID-19.

As the household searched for responses through the adhering to months, friends and neighbors stepped in to assist Brown, who also makes use of a walker as he awaits knee medical procedures. A longtime mate produced confident 1 of the grand youngsters, who is a special desires scholar at Truckee Elementary Faculty, constantly was picked up for course, when many others aided with functioning errands and nearly anything else the household of five may well need to have.

Vehicle GIVEAWAY

A pair of Brown’s buddies also wrote up nominations for The Vehicle & Tire Doctor’s annual vehicle giveaway, and when his tale strike the judge’s eyes, it was clear who a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee really should be awarded to.

“His circumstances had been so excessive,” reported Jodi DeRuise, The Vehicle & Tire Medical doctor manager and organizer of the company’s annual vehicle giveaway. “His tale really touched our coronary heart.”

DeRuise claimed The Auto & Tire Health care provider set in approximately $3,000 to correct up and originally experienced planned on promoting it, but operator John (Lamoruex), mentioned “You know, why don’t we use this a person for the giveaway car or truck this yr?”

On Dec. 22, The Vehicle & Tire Health practitioner confirmed up at Brown’s property with the new Jeep.

“The shock went off without having a hitch,” reported DeRuise. “Amidst all the latest hardship his spouse and children has been enduring, he experienced a allure about him that designed our hearts smile. We hope this wonderful 2007 Jeep can help his household get through what could be a pretty challenging holiday, just a little bit much easier.”

Tanya Adams, childhood best pal of Brown’s daughter, was a person of all those who wrote in a nomination. Just after a lot more than 30 several years of taunting, Brown joked that Adams’ nomination came as a form of payback.

“I could not chat for a minute,” reported Brown on acquiring the Jeep. “Tanya (Adams) has been very best buddies with my daughter considering the fact that they had been both of those 10. Because I’d amuse myself by taunting her, this was her getting even. It took me fully by shock.”

Though the loved ones is even now digging out from the recent storms and a excursion to the DMV continues to be on the to-do record, Brown claimed getting the vehicle provided a ray of gentle in what has been a dark, puzzling past two months.

“You know how when you’re in a crisis, and if you could just catch a split, you could get started working with almost everything else? That was it,” he explained.

The Brown family also has a GoFundMe campaign at http://www.gofundme.com/f/e8qjjc-aid-for-the-brown-family.

Justin Scacco is a personnel writer with the Sierra Sunlight. He can be attained at jscacco@sierrasun.com