Man with terminal cancer had heartfelt reunion with the vintage car he used to own
- Man with terminal cancer was reunited with his Chevy Nova Yenko
- He had found the abandoned car decades ago and fixed it up
- His daughter tracked down the car leading to a sweet reunion
Published on Oct 17, 2024 at 12:10 PM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Oct 17, 2024 at 7:37 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
A US man living with terminal cancer was given an ‘unbelievable’ reunion with his beloved 1969 Chevrolet Nova Yenko more than 40 years after he last saw it.
Stephen Milliner originally found the vintage vehicle abandoned in a cow field in Indiana decades ago.
With the help of his two brothers, Milliner rescued and restored the Nova.
As time passed Milliner lost track of the classic car and last saw it in 1978.
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The 1969 Chevrolet Nova Yenko ended up 600 miles away
However, following his cancer diagnosis in April this year, his daughter Sherri set about tracking down the car for a sweet reunion.
It all began when Sherri found that the same Nova Yenko her dad and uncles had worked on all those years ago now belonged to an Iowan billionaire businessman named Dennis Albaugh.
Sherri reached out to Albaugh who was more than happy to transport the vehicle 600 miles so Milliner could see it again. How nice is that?
The Nova Yenko arrived at Floyd Central High School on a trailer, leading to an incredible reunion in July.
“Unbelievable,” Milliner said after laying eyes on the Nova for the first time in more than 40 years.
“I’m a very blessed man, believe me.”
He took the car out for a drive
During the moving reunion, Milliner was surrounded by his loving family, including his wife of 50 years who he branded his ‘rock’.
“God has his hand on me all the time,” Milliner said becoming emotional as he spoke to WHAS11.
As well as getting up close to his former motor, Milliner was able to take his wife out for a spin – hopping behind the Nova’s wheel for the first time since the 1970s.
Although he may have lost touch with Nova Yenko for a few decades, Milliner did manage to get his hands on his ‘dream car’ – a 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 – a couple of years ago and this year was able to drive it for the first time.
This isn’t the first time a heartfelt reunion has hit us in the feels – remember the 85-year-old who became emotional after he found his 1967 Camaro after 40 years?
Or the loving wife who was able to track down her husband’s long-lost Mustang?
How about this grandpa’s emotional surprise when he saw his 1954 International pickup truck had been restored?
Lovely stuff – that goes to show cars are more than just a mode of transport.
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.
