Nikki's Jeep

Hi there, my name’s Nate Kenyon, I own a Jeep customization/restoration business in Sioux Falls South Dakota called Mortie’ Speed and Equipment.

This past week I had a client bring in a 1999 Jeep Wrangler that her and her mother had bought on a whim after some unexpectedly tragic news in their family. Her name is Nikki and on February 13th of this year her father passed away unexpectedly after suffering for years from complications of a botched back surgery. Her father had served in the Army for 20+ years as well as the Geary County Sheriff’s department in Junction City Kansas. The news of her father’s death was hard on the family but none more than her brother who had been suffering with mental health issues for years. Unfortunately, the loss of his father was too much for him and on March 16th he took his own life just a month after his father passed.

The news that she had lost two of the closest people in her life in such a short period of time was beyond devastating. Not only was Nikki dealing with this immense pain but she had recently started a new job and had finally received news that she was pregnant after trying for quite a long time. Trying to navigate meeting new co-workers, learn new procedures and deal with the emotions a pregnancy all while going through the grieving process turned out to be too much for Nikki's body. Within a short amount of time she had learned she had lost her baby to a miscarriage.

After the multitude of tragic events Nicki thought it best to move her mother, who had lived in the house with both her father and brother, from Junction City, Kansas to Sioux Falls where Nikki had been living for the past few years to help both of them deal with their grief.

Here’s where the Jeep comes in. In Nikki’s words, “Back in April we decided to purchase our Jeep. I was nervous and hesitant and maybe even had a little regret...until we went on our first Jeep ride. It was the first time my mom and I had genuinely smiled and laughed since everything happened. We purchased the jeep because growing up we would go off-roading as a family. We all loved it and would belly laugh the entire time. We decided it was well worth the money and something we could do to keep their memory alive.”

While this story sounds like it has a happy ending, unfortunately the Jeep they bought needs a good deal of work to get it even road worthy. There’s no front bumper, the engine fan hits on a metal shroud making an awful noise, the parking brake is non-existent, the side mirrors are shattered, there's no top and the tires are shot due to rubbing heavily on the underside of the vehicle. There’s quite a few other cosmetic issues with the Jeep as well. Nikki brought me this Jeep with the hopes that I could get “drivable” for her and her mother to enjoy this summer and I intend on doing just that. But I was hoping to take it a step further. I would love to redo this Jeep to a point where Nikki and her mother can fully enjoy it, not feel embarrassed driving it and have it for many years down the road in memory of her late father and brother.

To help the cause, my shop will be donating our time at no cost to Nikki and her mother (they don’t know that yet) but I could use some help buying up the necessary parts to make this Jeep everything I know it can be. After putting together a budget for the entire build, the total came out to $11,500. (That's without my shop taking anything) I know that’s a high number so I set the goal here at $5,000 as that will at least allow us to get the necessary parts to get their Jeep working the way it should.

I gotta say, I've only known Nikki for a small amount of time in a few short encounters but she is not someone who will let others feel her pain. She wears a smile wherever she goes and tries to look at the positive side of life. She's someone who spends what little energy she has lifting others up all while going through her own grief. She's truly a wonderful person and I can't think of anyone who deserves a gift like this more!

Thank you so very kindly for any help you're willing to give, it is greatly appreciated. I know this Jeep could be a major source of happiness for this family that has lost so much this past year.