VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Terri Liestman’s progress from stroke-induced paralysis got derailed a month ago, but thanks to 10 On Your Side viewers, she’s back on track.
Liestman, 69, is once again riding on three wheels, and she’s also riding on three pillars of kindness — generosity, understanding and compassion.
“I just want to express my gratitude, and that’s all I really want to say is thank you so much. Thank you everybody,” she said in a Wednesday morning interview.
The new red customized TerraTrike bike is more modern than the one that was stolen from her apartment complex near the Lesner Bridge four weeks ago. It also has a tighter turning radius that will be more effective in helping Liestman in her recovery, according to her trainer, Mara Bates.
Liestman and Bates priced a new bike and found a heavy price tag: $3,500. Bates posted a GoFundMe. Through the generosity of strangers, they reached their goal in a matter of a few hours.
“I didn’t think that it would fund at all, especially in this time of year, and with everything going on in the world,” Bates said. “And then you open up the website, and you’re like, ‘Yay, let’s do the happy dance!’ The community came out. WAVY-TV 10 totally came out.”
For Liestman, independence and mobility have been restored, and so has her faith in humanity, except for the guy who hauled away her old bike in his pickup truck. It was captured on surveillance video from her apartment building, but nothing new so far on catching the thief.
She said if it ever is recovered, she already has a friend in mind who could use it.
