Every so often a story comes to your desk that not only makes you stop whatever you’re doing, but also makes you reevaluate your lot in life. I found myself in that situation when I read about the story of Ryan Wagner and what Tesla did for him and his son, Miles.

First, a brief back story. Back in December 2013, Wagner and his wife found out that they were expecting a child. Great news, right? Well it would’ve been, but in a matter of just a few days, Wagner also discovered that he had metastatic colon cancer. To make things worse, his son was born with a rare disease called primary hyperoxaluria that affects only one in five million people and left the little boy in need of both liver and kidney transplants.

So where does Tesla fit into all of this? Shortly after founding out that he has cancer, Wagner sought to, in his own words, “accelerate his life goals.” One of those goals was to own a Tesla Model S. So he placed an order at the Chicagoland Tesla dealership and when the dealership team found out about his story, it decided to do something for Wagner by bumping up his order to the front of the queue for production. The gesture is by no means small considering how notoriously closed-off CEO Elon Musk is at accommodating these types of requests. This is, after all, the same man who denied his own cousin’s request to get special treatment when he ordered his Model S.

But the team at Chicagoland Tesla went even further. Once Wagner’s car was ready to be picked up, the whole team at the dealership requested to have him bring his son along for the pick-up. Wagner obliged not knowing that the people in the dealership all pitched in to get young Miles his own Tesla Model S Radio Flyer vehicle, complete with his own personalized license plate.

The gesture isn’t going to help Wagner or Miles beat the challenges that remain in front of them. But what the Chicagoland Tesla team did was more than anybody could’ve ever asked for. The whole team showed that there’s still plenty of room in this world for thoughtful gestures made by thoughtful people. Considering the state of the world we’re living in now, moments like this also remind us that there are still a lot of good and kind-hearted people out there who will go the extra mile for somebody in need.

Humanity wins, indeed.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

Why it Matters

I’m usually at the point in my life wherein I’m above getting emotional after reading stories like the one Ryan Wagner shared. But I will admit that my room suddenly became incredibly dusty after finishing the story. That or I may have rubbed some onions in my eye.

All joking aside, this is the kind of story that breaks your heart and inspires you at the same time. I can’t even begin to imagine what Ryan Wagner is going through. It’s one thing to have a type of incurable cancer that’s effectually put an axe over your head. It’s a completely different story having to deal with that and also have to worry about your child going through what he’s going through. It’s a devastating situation to be in and it’s something that I’m not going to wish on my enemies. I can’t do much here other than to say that on behalf of TopSpeed, my thoughts and my prayers are with you, Ryan Wagner. You strength in this difficult time is inspiring, not just to me, but for the rest of my colleagues and all of our readers here. Please stay strong for your wife and your son and always remember that a lot of people, some of whom you don’t even know, are praying and rooting for you and your son.

Now, about Tesla, specifically the whole team over at Chicagoland Tesla. I know the company has been involved in a lot of negative press recently, but I have to say, my undying respect goes out to everyone in that dealership who played a role in assisting Wagner and his son when it wasn’t really part of their job descriptions. This selfless act of kindness and generosity towards a family that’s had their world crumble before them is truly and remarkably inspiring. Thank you guys for doing what you did and for reminding us that random acts of kindness can still make this world a better place.

You didn’t do anything for us, but we, like everybody else, felt and were extremely moved by what you did for Ryan Wagner and his family. In no uncertain terms, thank you for being awesome people.