Big wheels from heaven

Marisa O’Neil

Tears of joy welled up in Tarah Wakeling’s big, brown eyes as she

inspected her new bicycle Wednesday at a local bike shop.

An anonymous donor, identified only as “an angel from the

Yankees,” purchased the new three-wheeled bicycle to replace the one

stolen from the side of her Newport Beach house on New Year’s Day.

The bike represents a return to mobility and independence for

32-year-old Wakeling, who was left unable to drive after a serious

car crash injury nearly 10 years ago.

“I’m in awe of how blessed I’ve been,” Wakeling said. “I’m totally

overwhelmed.”

After the Daily Pilot reported the theft of her bike, more than a

dozen people offered to pitch in or to buy her a new one.

But earlier this week, one person stepped up to the plate before

anyone else could.

“He contacted us, and we set it up,” said Nicole Wallace, general

manager at Jax Bicycle Center on Main Street in Huntington Beach.

“She’s able to pick out whatever she wants, and we’ve been told to

take care of it.”

The bike was donated through the Mr. October Foundation for Kids,

a charitable organization started by Newport Beach resident Reggie

Jackson, a secretary for the former baseball superstar confirmed.

She would not say for the record whether Jackson himself was

Wakefield’s “angel.”

“People can draw their own conclusions,” she said.

A Corona del Mar High School graduate, Wakeling suffered massive

brain and spinal cord injuries in 1995 after she apparently fell

asleep at the wheel while driving to Arizona. Her car flipped

multiple times.

She spent nearly a month in a coma, and when she awoke, she could

not walk, talk or write.

Eventually, she recovered enough to read, write and talk, and can

now walk with the help of a cane, but she still can’t drive a car.

Two years ago, her boyfriend, 38-year-old Steven West, bought her

a stable, three-wheeled bicycle. That meant she didn’t need to rely

on friends and family for rides anymore.

When it was stolen, she was heartbroken, West said.

Her heart healed this week when she learned of all the support

people had offered.

“She went from unfortunate to fortunate,” West said.

“She can’t drive ... she can’t go anywhere without [her bike].

“She’s happy as she can be now.”

After the call from the “angel,” bike shop workers hastily

assembled the one three-wheeler in stock and put a basket on the

front, per the donor’s request.

The bike just happened to be blue -- Wakeling’s favorite color.

“This one has two fenders on the back,” Wakeling marveled as she

looked over her new bike, valued at about $450.

“My old one didn’t have that. This one has two baskets on it. My

old one only had one.”

As an added bonus, the donor told Wallace to set Wakeling up with

any accessories she needed -- including a helmet, gloves, a new lock

and a nice, cushy gel seat.

When she hopped aboard the bike, a broad smile spread across her

face.

“It’s like home,” she said as she rested her feet on the pedals.

“It is just like home.”

Wakeling and West, who became engaged last summer, were hoping the

bike thief would return her wheels if he or she realized how

important it was to Wakeling.

The two were shocked by the support people expressed after hearing

her story and seeing a photo of her riding her original bike.

“The girl had such courage and guts,” said Corona del Mar resident

Susan Champion, one of many who offered to help Wakeling get a new

bike.

“We saw this picture of this vibrant, happy young woman riding a

bicycle. Anybody who worked so hard didn’t deserve [to have it

stolen].”

Wakeling’s father, a white-bearded Corona del Mar fixture known as

the “Running Man” for his love of jogging, was also amazed by the

generosity her story inspired.

“She’s a great girl,” Alan Wakeling said.

“She deserves the best.”

Tarah Wakeling continued to dab away her tears and hug everybody

in sight as she picked just the right accessories to trick out her

bike before its inaugural ride to her Newport Beach home.

“Who would expect this?” she said. “It’s from an angel. How else

can you describe it?”