Boss surprises McDonald's employee after bike theft with heartwarming gesture

FARMINGTON, NY – Earlier this year, Jeremiah Iheoma invested $200 in a bike so he could get to work at the McDonald’s restaurant in Farmington.

Iheoma, a student at Genesee Community College who back when he was a fifth-grader in Canandaigua wrote and illustrated a book, “My Super Life with Autism,” prefers to do things himself if he can rather than burden someone else.

The bike was his way to ensure he got to work and back home in Farmington. If someone had to drive him to work, that’s 5 minutes out of his or her day. He can get to work in 15 minutes on his black-and-blue Huffy.

“I like to be accountable, holding myself to who I want to be and my highest standards,” Iheoma said.

And it worked out great this summer, right up until the bike was stolen on a Wednesday about three weeks ago.

Spoiler alert: Iheoma now has a new bike, courtesy of his boss, and while thankful, he still is a bit mad at himself because he left the bike unlocked. Back when he first got the bike, his stepdad told him to lock it up, but long story short, Iheoma didn’t in this case.

“It’s one of those things where you don’t want to admit you’re wrong,” Iheoma said.

It's worth noting that Iheoma was told his bike was missing while he was working. He finished his shift. "I still had a job to do," Iheoma said.

When Tim Potter, who owns and operates this and several other McDonald’s restaurants in Ontario and Monroe counties, was informed about what happened, well, he said Iheoma is a “great kid and very deserving."

After messaging his mom to see if it was OK, Potter got him a new bike.

“We try to build this culture of care within our organization for our employees and communities,” Potter said. “When opportunities like that come up, you can’t pass them up. Any of our folks need a hand, we help in any way that we can."

Replacing a bike should be pretty easy, right? Think again; Iheoma is 6 feet 6 inches tall.

Try to find a bike that fits his size on the floor of any store, Potter said, but he tried, eventually making his way to Dick’s Sporting Goods in Victor and explained the situation.

They built the bike then and there, Potter said, and set Iheoma up with all the bells and whistles -- headlight, taillight, water bottle, and storage bag under the seat. If a bike has leg room, this one has it.

“And of course, a new lock," Potter laughed. “It’s all pretty much built just for him."

After all that happened, you don’t just hand the bike over. You make it special, and a surprise.

When Iheoma came in for his shift on a late July Friday, the story goes that Potter was there to do an inspection.

Potter came up to Iheoma and told him that he had heard what happened about the bike. He went on to say that he appreciated everything Iheoma does for the restaurant, which is just about everything: from cooking French fries to serving customers to cleaning to changing ice in the soda machines.

As Potter spoke with Iheoma, a fellow employee wheeled the new bike into the restaurant, and Potter said he wanted Iheoma to have it.

“His eyes were like this big,” said Potter, his hands about 6 inches apart.

Yes, Iheoma was shocked.

“That was very generous of you to do that in the situation that I was in,” Iheoma said in recounting the story with Potter. “It felt good to know that you work hard, and you’re dedicated, and your employer supports you for trying to make the effort.”

Iheoma is in his second year of college. Writing is something he tried when he was younger, he said, but he found it’s not for him. He’s trying not to overthink a career just yet and is just exploring what's out there for him, although he enjoys the criminal justice courses he’s taking.

He took the McDonald's job when he was 17. “Honestly, I wanted money,” he said. Two years later, he plans to keep working at McDonald’s − yes, for the money, although help with tuition is another huge plus.

“It’s a nice job, dependable and flexible for what I need,” Iheoma said. “It’s really worked out for me as far as my goals and what I want.”

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: McDonald's worker receives touching surprise: A new bike from boss