- Agnello's 1968 Ford Galaxie 500, restored through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, was stolen in May but recovered two weeks later with damage.
- Now repaired, the car is returning to Detroit's Autorama show, where Agnello is raising funds to support Make-A-Wish and the cystic fibrosis community.
- Watch the video above to see how the car looks now.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
This weekend's Autorama show in Detroit marks 19 years since Josh Agnello first received his 1968 Ford Galaxie 500, restored through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
"The car was my dad's before it was mine," Agnello said.
Agnello, who has cystic fibrosis, was 18 when Make-A-Wish and his care team at the Cystic Fibrosis Center in Okemos helped make his dream a reality.
But the road to bring the car to where it is today hasn’t been smooth.
In May, Agnello's Ford Galaxie was stolen off the side of a highway.
"Just unreal. Just unrealistic," Agnello said.
Two weeks later, the Ingham County Sheriff’s Office found the car under a tarp after following a tip about a similar-looking vehicle.
"I cannot believe that we got it back, and it's here," Agnello said.
The car was returned with damage to the paint and wheels.
According to the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office, the case remains under investigation.
As authorities continue their work, Agnello has been focused on repairing the car.
"They wanted to write the car off as a total loss," he said.
However, Agnello refused to give up on a car that holds deep sentimental value. Now restored, the classic car is returning to Autorama with Make-A-Wish, where his journey with the Galaxie began. Donations to support granting more wishes will be accepted at the event.
For Agnello, the opportunity to give back after all these years is deeply meaningful.
"Amazing. You would have never thought when you had the wish come true that you would be able to make an impact years down the road," he said.
Agnello has also organized a GoFundMe campaign to cover expenses for the trip to Autorama, support Make-A-Wish, and give back to the cystic fibrosis community.
"If we can bring good out of a bad situation, that's what I'm here for," he said.
Agnello's car will be located in "The D Lot" at Autorama in Detroit from February 28th to March 2nd.
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