LOCAL MECHANIC’S GIFT TO FAMILY WAS ANSWERED PRAYER - FOX 14 TV Joplin and Pittsburg News Weather Sports |

A local mom is calling an auto mechanic an angel for his gift to her son who lives with autism. 
          The going rate for a 1999 Chrysler Sebring convertible in good condition is close to two-thousand dollars.
     That is, unless, you're the young man in Joplin who got  an even  better deal thanks to Kevin Iseli.
Caleb Phillips attends WTI to earn an information technology certificate to fix computers. Recently, the car he'd had since high school started having trouble.
Caleb said, "I worked a long time to earn the money for it. And um, I drove it for a long time."
His mom took it to Kevin's Auto Repair where the diagnosis wasn't good.
Kevin Iseli, the owner explained,  "It needed a starter, radiator and an ac condenser cause they put the tow hook through it. So, we got the car up on the lift. It was rusted from one end to the other. It wasn’t worth fixing. I  mean you're throwing good money after bad."
 

Kristin Sageser said she called Caleb with the news. He was looking online for a scooter saying that’s what he could afford. Kevin thought it was too cold for that. Kristin said she prayed and put the problem in God's hands. She heard of others doing that and thought she would try it. She said it took her worry away.  A week later Kevin called her offering a car for free.
Sageser said she cried,  "It touched us. And for him to be so selfless like that,  you just don’t see it everyday! We were just beyond thankful."

Kevin is pretty humble about it. He said, “I wasn’t doing nothin with it. I  figured it would be all right give him  a good five or ten years out of it."
While Kevin would like people  to believe it wasn’t a big deal, Caleb says it will make a difference in his life.
Caleb said, "I needed to get to college and  stuff and I had a perfect attendance before that."
Thanks to a truck borrowed from his Grandpa and now the car, he’ll maintain that perfect attendance which he finds very important.
 Caleb, who has autism, lives on his own and  is saving to get the car licensed.  He's grateful for the gift. "It was really nice that he  did that. It’s just a really kind thing to do. He  doesn’t even know me that well and stuff," Caleb said.

But Kevin had an understanding and connection because of his wife’s previous teaching position.
Kevin explained, “ She taught  at the high school nine through twelve  special ed for thirteen years, so I know there’s sometimes money’s  tight. Times are hard. I’ve got five kids of mine own so, I  just wanted to help him out.”


Kristin's facebook post  calling Kevin an angel for his  good deed went viral. And is bringing the humble guy some well deserved extra attention.

Kevin blushed, "Customers  come in just to shake my hand or give  me a hug or whatever.  It can’t always be about making money.
Um, you gotta help people out so. We do when we can."

 Kristin still gets emotional about the generosity and is glad Kevin is getting praise. She said,  "Kevin is one of those rare people  that sees a need and doesn’t think twice about it. The good guys don’t get enough points."
     Those who know Kevin say this is just who he is and he does right by everyone.