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The mother of a London man severely injured in a hit-and-run crash is relaunching a crowdfunding campaign for much-needed accessibility upgrades to their new home.
Abby Roby’s son Tristan Roby was permanently injured after he was struck by a vehicle in 2019 while riding a bike along Exeter Road. They got the keys to a small bungalow in the city’s Old North neighbourhood days ago, but the family is now struggling to pay for much-needed renovations after unexpected closing costs.
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“We pooled everything we had together to get this house for Tristan. It’s been a mission for us. It’s something that he’s wanted, like number one on his bucket list,” she said. “We just want to make this new home safe for Tristan.”
The house needs expensive improvements – including ramps, a walk-in shower and a sliding door – to make it accessible for Tristan, who has been confined to a wheelchair since the crash, she said. The renovations need to be made quickly, since the family must be out of their apartment by Nov. 30, she said.
The sliding door from Tristan’s bedroom is necessary so he can go outside easily and escape quickly in an emergency, Roby said. A walk-in shower is a must-have, she said, since Tristan has only been able to get washcloth baths in his bed for the past three years, she said.
The family decided to buy a home with a backyard where Tristan, who has always been fascinated with insects, can spend his time, Abby Roby said. The Roby family was forced to move into an apartment about three years ago when the owner of the house they were in decided to sell.
They saved up and managed to buy a home, but unexpected costs at closing – $12,000 when they had budgeted just half that – depleted the money they had saved for accessibility upgrades, Abby Roby said.
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“We were doing okay until that hiccup,” she said.
Roby re-launched a GoFundMe campaign she began in the wake of the crash to help cover the renovation costs, a total she estimates could be as high as $30,000.
Tristan Roby, now 23 years old, requires ongoing care as a result of the traumatic brain injury he sustained in the crash. He suffered serious brain damage from the July 21, 2019, hit-and-run and spent three months in hospital. The vehicle did not remain at the scene and was found nearby. Charges were announced several months later.
Jesse Bleck was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison in June for driving while prohibited and failing to stop at a crash. He was released on bail, with strict house arrest conditions, pending an appeal but was arrested for breaching those conditions.
In fall 2021, Roby and his family filed a lawsuit against Bleck and two other defendants, including the vehicle’s registered owner and the family’s insurer. The lawsuit is ongoing and has not been settled, Abby Roby said.
jbieman@postmedia.com
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