AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
Now, a story about a woman with an unfulfilled dream, and a volunteer nearby with a lot of joy to share. KUER's Ciara Hulet has the story of how they got together.
CIARA HULET, BYLINE: Elaine Wirth loves sports cars. She used to own a Thunderbird and lately has wanted a red convertible Mustang. But she's 76, and after a few strokes, can no longer drive. Now, on a Saturday outside her retirement home, one pulls up.
(SOUNDBITE OF VEHICLE PULLING UP)
ELAINE WIRTH: Whoa. Wow, wow, wow.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Mom, you get to go ride in this Mustang.
HULET: Legacy House in Spanish Fork, Utah, has a new bucket list program to make residents' wishes come true with the help of the community. Marketing Director Emma Sorensen put this surprise together.
EMMA SORENSEN: People have this idea that they move into an assisted living and their story's ending, when in reality, it's just another beginning of a cool and amazing chapter of their story.
HULET: Once Wirth's seatbelt is on...
(SOUNDBITE OF SEATBELT CLICKING)
HULET: ...This spunky grandma blows kisses to her family.
(SOUNDBITE OF BLOWING KISSES)
HULET: She's ready to party in the convertible, wearing red, white and blue clothes.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Bye, Grandma.
WIRTH: OK, may never be back.
(LAUGHTER)
HULET: She's delighted by the purr of the engine.
WIRTH: Listen to that music. Yes, yes, yes.
HULET: Sandra Lamb (ph) owns the Mustang and volunteered for this as fast as she could.
SANDRA LAMB: This is a "Golden Girl" moment.
WIRTH: Yeah. That's true.
HULET: Lamb's dad died two years ago, but she remembers taking him out for rides in this convertible.
LAMB: So I'd pull up in my dad's driveway, and I said, Dad, you want to go topless today?
WIRTH: (Laughter).
LAMB: And he'd laugh and laugh, and we'd get in the car, and he went for his topless ride.
WIRTH: Oh, he got to go.
LAMB: So that was...
HULET: Lamb bought this car for herself after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
LAMB: It was the color red, of love and happiness. And so I just finished my treatment, actually, about three months ago, and I am...
HULET: Wow.
LAMB: ...Good to go. So it's...
HULET: Congratulations.
LAMB: ...A celebration for me, too.
HULET: And Lamb says it makes her happy to share the joy.
LAMB: That's why the door's open. You can come - call me for a ride anytime.
WIRTH: OK.
LAMB: OK?
WIRTH: Thank you (laughter).
LAMB: I expect a phone call.
HULET: But the ride isn't over yet.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Hi. What can I get for you?
LAMB: Can I get four small ice cream cones in a cup?
HULET: Lamb used to get ice cream with her dad every time she took him out for a ride.
WIRTH: It's yummy.
HULET: Wirth says she's going to brag to her friends at Legacy House.
WIRTH: I'm going to say, well, I can die now. I'm happy, and I've had a nice, nice ride.
HULET: And she's proving that it's never too late to live a dream.
For NPR News, I'm Ciara Hulet in Spanish Fork, Utah. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.