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Alia Dahl is resting on June 29 after her epic week reached its climax.

The night of June 28, the 19-year-old Los Lunas woman gave birth to a son, Kaiden, five days after her husband, Army Cpl. Joel Dahl, was killed in Iraq.

Between those two life-altering events, Alia Dahl's car was stolen in Albuquerque on June 27.

Police found the car on June 28 in the morning in a parking lot at Sandia Preparatory School — without many of the precious items Dahl was hoping to recover. Taken from the 1998 Honda Civic were a CD of wedding songs Joel had compiled and a quilt Joel's grandmother had made for the baby.

The theft of Dahl's car sparked a stunning outpouring of offers from people throughout the city. In 24 hours, Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White said, deputies recorded cash, checks and monetary pledges totaling $18,000.

Car dealers and private citizens also offered cars for Dahl.

"It's been crazy," said White, who was asked by U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, an Albuquerque Republican, to lead the fund-raising effort.

"We knew there would be contributions," White said, "and we knew people would give what they can, but I never imagined it would be like this."

The money will still go toward a new car for the new mother, White said.

Dahl found the response overwhelming.

"I can't be more relieved, because of all the things I'm going through right now," she said on June 28, shortly before going into labor. "I never thought Albuquerque would come together to help someone. I'm not someone that would ask for help like this. It's something I never expected or asked for, and just to see the radio stations and Sheriff's Department came together to help me is wonderful."

Dahl was scheduled to have birth induced on June 29, but went into labor about noon on June 28 at University of New Mexico Hospital. Kaiden was born at 7:30 p.m., hospital spokeswoman Lauren Cruse said.