ENUMCLAW, Wash. — When Tuesday's storm blew through Enumclaw, Shawn Clark had no idea what challenges he and his family were about to face, specifically in dealing with his 89-year-old mother's health issues.
Nila Clark was recently placed into home hospice care with heart, lung and kidney failure. She requires an oxygen tank to survive.
Around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, she called her son to report a power outage at her home.
Shawn lives just a few blocks away but was working in Seattle. He rushed home and connected his mother to a rechargeable oxygen machine but knew a long-term solution was needed.
"I happened to call my friend and he said he had a generator which he would generously loan me," Clark said through tears. "So we went and got it and I hooked her up just in time. Her battery was on one bar."
"It literally has been a nightmare," he said.
The generator provided enough juice for a little heat and to power her life-saving equipment.
"That generator was a godsend," Clark told KING 5.
Every few hours, he went over to refill the gas tank, interrupting his sleep to ensure it kept running.
Around 2:30 a.m. on Friday, he received another call from his mother that the power was out. Clark assumed the generator needed more gas as their power was still knocked out due to strong winds earlier in the week.
"Someone cut the cord and the chain I had on there while it was running and drove away with her generator," he said. "She was 10 feet from the generator and someone came up and took it, and walked away. She was out of oxygen. Can you imagine you're grasping for breath [when] it's dark and cold? It says something about humanity. We need to do something about it."
After calling 911, police officers arrived along with the fire department, who transported Nila Clark to the hospital.
She remained there until Friday afternoon, when power was restored.
"She's so weak from this three or four-day experience. It's very hard. I'm very emotional. I think I've lost faith in humanity a little bit. I'm a people person and this hurt me deeply."
The theft remains unsolved.
The friend who loaned the generator to the Clarks described it as a "Honda 2200 Power Generator."
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Enumclaw Police Department.