'Chewbacca' helps trick-or-treaters home after West Allis mom's electric wheelchair dies

 

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Halloween heartbreak for a West Allis mom turned into a bittersweet story she's excited to tell others about.

The story starts outside some of the spookiest decorations in West Allis. The family here spends an entire month lining up spiders and skeletons, but nothing could be scarier than what nearly happened to a couple of trick-or-treaters just feet away.

That's Amy LaRoque in the pineapple costume, and David Tabaka as Chewbacca. 

A heartfelt hug, two days after this picture was snapped and LaRoque took her deep appreciation to Facebook.

"I'm glad someone was able to get me out of the road," said LaRoque. 

LaRoque was taking her 3-year-old son trick-or-treating the only way she could, in a motorized wheelchair. 

"Last three years I've had ongoing health conditions. I can't walk very well. Ever since he was born, I had a stroke during labor. That one was missed and then I had one four months later," said LaRoque.

Two months ago, LaRoque saved enough money to buy a $1,600 electric wheelchair on Amazon, and it was working well until it stopped four blocks into trick-or-treating.

"We got stuck in the middle of the road. A little bit, yeah, it put me in a little bit of a panic. I was looking for cars, don't want a car to come around the corner or over the hill too fast, or just not be paying attention," LaRoque.

Fortunately, someone was watching -- a Halloween figure known for watching. It was Michael Myers, who lives at the house LaRoque was heading to next. Chewbacca lives there too.

"I noticed that she stopped. I thought her son maybe dropped something and then I realized that she wasn't going anywhere," said David Tabaka, "Chewbacca."

Chewbacca jumped to action, as you might expect of the loyal wookiee.

"She ran out of batteries kind of in the middle of the street here," said Tabaka. 

Stuck in the road at 84th and Wilbur, with cars whizzing by, "Chewbacca" ran to help.

"I said, 'are you okay?' and she said she charged up her wheelchair but it must have ran out," said Tabaka.

So, he took matters into his own furry hands and pushed this mom and son all the way home -- four full blocks.

"Yeah, it was kind of comical. People were blowing the horn, and I was waiving. You have to do good for people. Karma always comes back," said Tabaka.

It's a Halloween happy ending in West Allis.