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Tesla grants man suffering from terminal cancer his final wish: A brand new Model 3

Published Dec 15th, 2017 10:31AM EST
Tesla Model 3

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Amidst the seemingly endless stream of chaos and negativity that currently dominates our news cycle, it’s nice to see an uplifting and touching story surface to the top every once in a while. In a tale that’s equal parts sad and heartwarming, Tesla this week prioritized the delivery of a Model 3 to an early reservation holder who unfortunately is suffering from terminal cancer. The man, who we only know by his Tesla Motor Club handle Graniteds, was worried that he wouldn’t receive his Model 3 in time given that Model 3 production has been coming along much slower than anticipated. Indeed, Tesla still hasn’t started to deliver units to non-employee reservation holders.

As to how the story unfolded, well, that’s an interesting saga in and of itself.

Last month, a rumor surfaced claiming that regular Model 3 deliveries might begin in November. In turn, Graniteds posted the following on the Tesla Motors Club forum.

“Well, I’d love to see November deliveries!” Graniteds wrote, “I have a terminal stage 4 cancer and have been told I may only 3-4 months to live. The last thing on my bucket list is our Model 3 and I’d like to have a few days to experience and enjoy it. I wonder if there is any flexibility in the queue?”

Speaking to Inverse, the man — who opted to keep his real name private — explained that he’s suffering from Chondrosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.

By late November, the post was brought to the attention of a human resources employee at Tesla. Quickly, wheels were set in motion to get Graniteds his Model 3 as quickly as possible. After choosing the exact configuration he wanted, Tesla pulled through in the clutch and delivered the Model 3 to Graniteds this week. Tesla also gave him a private factory tour, as detailed via the tweets below.

A heartwarming story, if there ever was one.

Yoni Heisler Contributing Writer

Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry at large with over 15 years of experience. A life long expert Mac user and Apple expert, his writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK, and TUAW.

When not analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys catching Improv shows in Chicago, playing soccer, and cultivating new TV show addictions.