The crime has added financial worries at an already devastating time
Dylan lives with Global Hypoxic Ischemia
A dad felt “knocked sideways” after realising his van had been stolen while his child fought for his life in hospital.
Roy Townsend was stripped of his livelihood just as he and his partner Ally were trying to hold it together for their son Dylan, who was left brain damaged after a choking incident almost 10 years ago.
The theft happened while the couple were in Bristol spending precious time with Dylan, during his latest admission to Bristol Children’s Hospital. They were staying for four weeks at temporary accommodation nearby, to save having to travel back to their home in Wells, Somerset.
Self-employed plasterer Roy, 50, lost not just his van but the hand tools, power tools, mixing drills, site lights, laser levels and more that had been stored inside. Some of the items carried sentimental value, including his darts and tools he’d used since the beginning of his career.
Roy’s sister Kim Todman has now launched a fundraiser to help ease the financial burden, allowing the family to focus on each other.
Roy Townsend
While insurance claims grind slowly through the system — if they even pay out at all — Roy faces a daily uphill climb. And with Dylan’s health always precarious, the emotional stakes are ever-present.
“He’s always been someone who just gets on with it,” Kim said. “He works when he can, takes time off when he needs to. But this has knocked him sideways.”
The theft happened on Sunday, April 27. After saying goodnight to Dylan, Roy and Ally had returned to their temporary accommodation — a routine they’ve sadly grown used to over the years. As they settled in to watch a film, Roy received a strange notification on his phone.
It was just a message from the Ford app, saying that his access had been removed. At first, he thought little of it. Only after the film ended did he glance at his phone properly.
Stepping outside, Roy turned left towards where he had parked the van. “That’s when he noticed it was gone,” said his sister, Kim, who lives in Street. “He believes he might’ve even seen a van driving off, but he can’t be sure.”
The timing couldn’t have been more brutal. Roy was already navigating the emotional toll of Dylan’s latest hospital admission — another chapter in a long and harrowing journey that began in 2015.
Dylan was a vibrant, playful three-year-old — just weeks away from turning four — when tragedy struck. One afternoon in November 2015, while eating lunch at home, Dylan choked on a piece of ham. What followed was every parent’s nightmare.
“He had a respiratory and cardiac arrest at home,” Kim recalls. “He had a total downtime of 45 minutes.”
Dylan who lives with Global Hypoxic Ischemia
The oxygen deprivation left Dylan with global brain damage. His diagnosis — Global Hypoxic Ischemia — meant that every part of his brain was affected. In the years since, Dylan has become completely dependent on those around him.
“Dylan is non-mobile, non-verbal, tube-fed,” Kim explained. “He has epilepsy, dystonia, and requires non-invasive ventilation overnight. Someone has to be with him at all times. Every aspect of daily care — it all has to be done for him.”
With Dylan back in hospital, the pressure on Roy and Ally is immense. “Ally hasn’t really been home since this latest admission,” says Kim. “She’s only managed about five hours away. She holds herself together, but it takes a toll.”
Roy, too, is struggling to juggle it all — his responsibilities as a father, a partner, and a breadwinner. “Things are tight,” Kim admits. “Both of them are unable to work right now, so they’ve had to tighten the purse strings.”
Being self-employed, Roy’s tools aren’t just tools — they’re his ability to earn. Losing them, along with the van, effectively shut down his only source of income.
“Everything he needs to work was in that van,” Kim says. “And now it’s all gone. He’s only managing at the moment because he’s borrowing a van and tools from a good friend.”
The generosity of others has kept him afloat, for now. “Luckily, he has some great friends who’ve offered to help — be it with tools, a van, or even some work. But it’s not a long-term fix.”
Seeing her brother in crisis, Kim did what she could and set up a JustGiving page. “The response has been overwhelming,” she said.
“We’ve been really touched by people’s donations, even the little messages of support. Every single one has meant the world.”
The van which has been stolen
On the JustGiving page, Kim wrote: “They’re already facing the unimaginable.
“On any other day, the van would’ve been empty. But that morning, [Roy] packed it in advance so he could spend as much time at the hospital as possible…
“They didn’t need this. Not now.”
“He’s not just working for himself,” Kim told Bristol Live. “He’s supporting Dylan, Ally, his older children, and even their grandchildren. That’s the kind of man he is.
“Even if you don’t know us, if you can spare anything, even a little, it’ll help take the burden off someone who’s always put his family first.”
She’s hopeful that the fundraiser will make a dent in what’s been lost. “We know we won’t get everything back. But even being able to replace some of the tools — that would be huge,” she added.