After the Hauers' wheelchair-accessible van was destroyed in a fire at their El Cajon home last month, the family decided to stay positive.
The van caught fire in front of the Hauers home on Willow Glen Drive in El Cajon in the early morning hours on Jan. 7. Despite efforts by father and son Chuck and Collin Hauer, and firefighters upon arrival, the van was destroyed. A second car belonging to one of the Hauers' children was also a total loss.
Firefighters were able to put out the flames before they fully spread to the home. The roof, one wall and a window did receive some damage.
Chuck Hauer and his wife Penny have adopted dozens of orphaned special needs children throughout their lifetime, in addition to having five of their own. Twenty people were inside the home at the time of the blaze, Penny told NBC 7.
Thankfully, everyone was safely evacuated before crews arrived and no one was injured.
The van that was destroyed was the family's main mode of transportation and helped take the children to and from medical appointments. Despite its loss, Penny told NBC 7 on that January day, "We have an awful lot to be thankful for."
That positivity paid off when a shiny and new wheelchair-accessible van with a big bow on top pulled into their driveway Thursday.
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The surprise, from an anonymous donor through the charity Passion 4 K.I.D.S., left the family overwhelmed.
"Passion 4 K.I.D.S. they have been unbelievable, you hear only the negative it’s about time you hear about the good things that happen, and this is by far a good thing," Penny said.
Penny told NBC 7 she couldn't be more grateful to the anonymous person who donated the van.
"If anyone comes across that person will you hug him for me," Penny asked. "Whoever this person is, I cannot begin to thank you enough."
