Wheelchair returned to woman who lost wheelchair at San Antonio concert

The Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office has returned an expensive custom-built wheelchair to its owner, a Houston woman who lost it following a concert at Frost Bank Center, according to authorities.

Tara Ryan grabbed headlines this week when her wheelchair went missing from the San Antonio basketball arena's parking lot after she and her fiancé attended the June 24 Blink-182 concert. She suffers from Friedreich's ataxia, a rare inherited disorder that causes progressive damage to the body's nervous system.

After reporting her wheelchair missing, Ryan's insurance company said it wouldn't cover the cost of a new one, leaving Ryan on the hook for $10,000, according to a GoFundMe set up to help her cover the replacement cost.

Firefighters in the Northern Bexar County Emergency Service District discovered Ryan's missing wheelchair on Monday. The county is still investigating its disappearance. Those with information can contact authorities at (210) 335-0300.

"It brings me joy to be able to assist and return the missing wheelchair to its rightful owner," Bexar County Fire Marshal Chris Lopez said in a statement.

The wheelchair was discovered in a grassy area by firefighters who went outside to do yard work.

"While we are thankful for the return of my custom wheelchair, we are saddened that it happened in the first place," Ryan said in a statement. "My hope after all of this is that we are able to bring awareness to people like myself. What you took wasn't just a wheelchair; it was my mobility."

Ryan also encouraged concerned citizens to donate to the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance, a nonprofit that funds research to cure the neurological disorder, according to its website.

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