Help Fund Tara's Essential Custom Wheelchair Replacement

On Monday, June 24th Tara Ryan and her fiancé Hunter Koska attended the Blink 182 concert at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Tara suffers from a condition called Friedreich’s Ataxia. It is a rare form of muscular dystrophy, a degenerative disease that affects the person’s nervous system and heart. If you’d like to read more about Friedreich’s Ataxia you can do so here.

Toward the end of the concert, Tara started experiencing heart palpitations. Hunter had recently been diagnosed with an ear infection and wasn’t feeling too good himself, but when you’ve got the opportunity to see your favorite band, and tickets and the hotel had already been booked, you go. They decided a few songs before the concert was to end that they would make their way to the exit.

Once they navigated the crowd and got to their car which was parked at the front of the facility, Hunter picked Tara up and put her into the car, helped her with getting her medication, and turned the AC on. He then got into the car himself and they began to leave. Not a few moments went by before they both realized they had left the wheelchair outside of the car. By the time they realized they were driving through the traffic to exit the Frost Bank Center and couldn’t turn around. They went with the flow of traffic to exit the Frost Bank Center and then immediately went back through an entrance. They explained to the police on guard what happened and were allowed back in to go check their parking space. You’re talking maybe a few minutes had gone by and the chair was gone.

They asked if they could file a police report and were told by the officer that they could not, because the wheelchair had been left there. Hunter made the point that their car was also “left” there during the duration of the concert, and why would a wheelchair be any different? An item was stolen, and they wanted to report it. They spoke with onsite staff and were told to come back the next day to check with the lost and found, and to look at the cameras.

With no other options, they returned to their hotel. Hunter carried Tara into the hotel and requested a wheelchair, which they thankfully had on-site for emergencies.

Unfortunately, the next day after having followed up with Frost Bank Center, nothing was brought forward and no footage was found. When asked if there were cameras in that area the security officers on site said they were pointed at the building and not toward the vehicles. Tara and Hunter then called and filed a police report and also went to the police station to follow up with the report.

They drove around the surrounding area of the Frost Bank Center, called and went into a few local pawn shops, etc., and were left empty-handed. They posted and shared the story via social media platforms and within private groups of the event that day and did get a lead on having seen the chair on a nearby street corner at the intersection of the Frost Bank Center, but when they went to check it wasn’t there.

Her family reached out to a local news station in hopes of spreading the word further and the story was picked up by My San Antonio and Fox News 4 San Antonio. You can find the story and coverage below.

Blink-182 fan desperate to find wheelchair stolen at San Antonio show

Custom wheelchair stolen during San Antonio trip

Tara needs this chair for her day-to-day life, but more importantly, for her safety. Tara and Hunter live in the Magnolia area of Texas and are now back at home. She had a very old chair that was kept in case of an emergency and unfortunately has already taken a tumble out of it. This is a dire situation.

Please understand that the wheelchair that was taken was specifically made for Tara. It had been a goal of her and her family for quite some time as she underwent and continues to undergo physical therapy. This chair is essentially an extension of her body. It’s her mobility.

We’ve been in contact with the company that made Tara’s chair. Her mother Jennifer, has the measurements on file and is hoping to hear back from them as soon as possible. However, when they originally purchased the chair in September 2020 their insurance covered half of the cost. Unfortunately, this time, getting a new wheelchair is not covered under insurance and will have to be paid for out of pocket. You can only receive a new chair every five years with the help of your insurance provider. It’s $10,000 to get a new custom wheelchair for Tara.

Tara and Hunter are set to be married in November, and she will need her chair to get down the aisle. It will take a few months to craft her a new chair. The sooner we can start the better. Her family welcomes donations of any size and we thank you for taking your time to donate.

Thank you for reading and sharing their story.