Family: ‘Thank you just doesn’t quite cover it’

WASILLA — The 11-year-old Dodge four-door sedan may not seem like much to some, but to one local family it’s a Christmas miracle.

The car, newly reconditioned and fixed up by the Mat-Su Auto Care Group, gives the Swanson family something dad Ben, mom Tara and 10-year-old Natalie haven’t had for a long time — hope.

“It’s still surreal,” Ben said minutes before he and his family were presented the keys to the car Friday morning. “Something actually went right for once.”

That something going right was the Swanson family’s selection as this year’s recipients of the annual Wheels of Hope program’s auto giveaway. For the past three years, the nine members of locally owned Mat-Su Napa Autocare repair centers and Alaska Family Services have purchased a good used vehicle and fixed it up to give to a deserving family.

While choosing from among the nearly 40 applicants wasn’t easy, the Swansons were a clear choice, said Becky Stoppa of Mat-Su Family Services. In the application, Tara explained that the family had lived in the Fairbanks area for eight years before their daughter Natalie was diagnosed with leukemia about three years ago. The family relocated to Seattle, where Natalie battled her life-threatening disease.

When Natalie was officially told she was in remission — that was this past July 26 — the Swansons returned home to Alaska, hopeful for a fresh start, Tara said. Unfortunately, things haven’t turned out as planned. Ben has been out of work and they didn’t have a vehicle, which made finding a job and getting Natalie to her follow-up medical appointments in Anchorage difficult.

“My brother’s here and we brought her back home so she could heal emotionally and physically,” Tara said through tears. “We got back up here and a lot of the plans are not coming together, but she’s doing great because Alaska is home.”

After being encouraged by folks at church to apply for the Wheels of Hope program, Tara said she finally relented.

“We have a real hard time asking for help,” she said. “But with the church encouraging us, I sat down and did the application. If it’s meant for us to have it, it will happen. If not, something else will come along.”

Even so, when she received the call a couple days before Friday’s presentation, Tara said she didn’t believe they were chosen to get the car.

“We were headed to another doctor’s appointment and I just had to ask him really? You picked us? Really?” she said. “Right now, it’s still hard to believe this is for us.”

Helping others in the Valley is a huge reward for the members of the Mat-Su Auto Care Group, said president Brian Lansdale. The 2001 Dodge Stratus the Swansons received is a very nice automobile, he said.

It has about 75,000 miles on it, but looks nearly new.

“We did some engine work on it, put on a new set of tires, a new windshield, gave it a real good safety check,” Lansdale said. “I think this is a great thing and I’m glad we’re a part of it. This is a very deserving family.”

What having a reliable automobile means to his family is hard to articulate, Ben said.

“Oh, it means everything,” he said. “We’re carless right now, so this is going to make a world of difference getting around and getting her to school.”

The gift means the Swanson family has hope when they had little before, Tara said. It also is a message that they chose the right place to call home.

“It’s a true blessing and it means so much, because now we can get a fresh start here in Alaska,” she said. “I really want to thank all of you. It’s a true blessing and we really just thank you. It means so much. It reassures us everything is going to be OK. It’s wonderful to know there are such amazing people in this world.”

As for her husband, Ben said there aren’t enough words to express his gratitude.

“Thank you just doesn’t quite cover it,” he said.

Contact reporter Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.