While he rues the loss of his specialized van, Matthew Loring is celebrating the kindness of family, friends and strangers.

Somewhere between 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2 and early Sunday morning, Loring鈥檚 van was stolen from a Calgary parking lot.

Rendered a quadriplegic in a June 12, 2011 diving accident, the 43-year-old was liberated with a 1995 Dodge van purchased with the help of family and friends in 2014.

The large model vehicle was rigged out with a lift which permitted Loring, a driver and his three children to travel beyond local borders and stay somewhere overnight; something that had been impossible following the accident.

So the theft of his van while he was in Calgary for a Garth Brooks concert was an enormous loss.

The vehicle was discovered in Olds, Alta. on Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, Loring still had no idea what damage has been done to it other than 鈥渢he steering column has been devastated.鈥�

Loring explains that he and girlfriend Shelly Kalke arrived at their Calgary hotels around dinnertime Saturday where they discovered the guest parking lot was full.

Instead, the couple had to park in the paid lot across the street.

After what he describes as a great concert, the couple returned to the hotel and settled in for the night. Early the following

morning, Kalke went down to the lot to extend the parking fee and collect a few items, including Loring鈥檚 special mug.

鈥淪he went down to the lot and I got a text that the van is gone,鈥� Loring says.

鈥淚 texted, 鈥淎re you in the right parking lot?鈥� he laughs. 鈥淎nd she said yes.鈥�

A round of calls to the parking lot operator and Calgary impound lots ensued, without success. It was the same story at all the local tow truck companies, but Loring says staff at the impound lots were very helpful.

鈥淭hose ladies really checked around,鈥� he said, noting that when it finally became clear the van had been stolen, police were called.

Both Calgary police and the RCMP verified the van was not located at any impound lot or towing yard and soon, every police and RCMP station in Canada had the licence plate and description of the van, Loring says.

鈥淲e finally had something to eat at 1 p.m. and tried all the rental places,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here was nothing for me to rent to get home in; all that was left was a few small cars I couldn鈥檛 transfer into them.鈥�

That鈥檚 when the enormity of his problem hit Loring.

鈥淔or a while there, in my state, it was almost unfathomable 鈥� how are we going to get home? There鈥檚 nothing to rent, I鈥檇 have to be carried in because there was no ramp. It was a worry for a while,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut the way the universe works, Shelly鈥檚 cousin Kris Jagt, an RN, knew of a lady named Jane.鈥�

Calling her 鈥渢he biggest sweetheart in the world, Loring says the woman not only had a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, she offered it to the couple for the trip back to Salmon Arm.

鈥淪he and her hubby drove into the city in two vehicles, came up to the hotel, picked me up on the day of the Pride Festival when downtown was crazy, drove us to Shelly鈥檚 cousin鈥檚 house and her husband met her there,鈥� raves Loring. 鈥淭his lady was so wonderful and wouldn鈥檛 take any money.鈥�

In the meantime, Jagt got busy on Facebook, reporting the theft on Garth Brooks鈥� page among others.

鈥淪he put out the word with the whole description,鈥� he says, pointing out that, as of Tuesday, the post had generated more than 300,000 shares, 200,000 of them after Kelly and Blu Hopkins reposted.

Shelly鈥檚 uncle drove the couple home in the borrowed van, getting them home by about 11 p.m. Sunday night then began the return trip.

Loring is now waiting to hear if his van is salvageable and can be returned to Salmon Arm. He is also working with the insurance company to see about replacing expensive equipment that was in the van and whether the Calgary parking lot operator has any responsibility.

Other than a bit of shocked disbelief, Loring says he was quite calm at the beginning.

鈥淏ut the biggest emotion that would come out of this is how amazing these people that we met were. They made a really difficult situation as easy as it could be,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 that 10-to-one ratio that for every jackass, there are those nine other people who are champs.鈥�

Thanks to his power chair, Loring will be able to make his way around the community and a friend of his, John Pottie, has offered the use of his wheelchair-accessible van for the time being.

鈥淪helly was by far the biggest help through this little adventure, she dragged my ass all over the place with a smile and a snuggle,鈥� says a grateful Loring. 鈥淚 hope the people who stole the van realizeed what kind of van it was and felt lousy.鈥�