![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1_LC_200525stolenvan_00.jpg\")
Dylan lives with Global Hypoxic Ischemia<\/p>\nThe crime has added financial worries at an already devastating timeDylan lives with Global Hypoxic Ischemia<\/p>\n
A dad felt “knocked sideways” after realising his van had been stolen while his child fought for his life in hospital.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019d used since the beginning of his career.<\/p>\n
Roy’s sister Kim Todman has now launched a fundraiser to help ease the financial burden, allowing the family to focus on each other.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/0_LC_200525stolenvan_02.jpg\")
Roy Townsend<\/p>\n
While insurance claims grind slowly through the system \u2014 if they even pay out at all \u2014 Roy faces a daily uphill climb. And with Dylan\u2019s health always precarious, the emotional stakes are ever-present.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s always been someone who just gets on with it,\u201d Kim said. \u201cHe works when he can, takes time off when he needs to. But this has knocked him sideways.\u201d<\/p>\n
The theft happened on Sunday, April 27. After saying goodnight to Dylan, Roy and Ally had returned to their temporary accommodation \u2014 a routine they\u2019ve sadly grown used to over the years. As they settled in to watch a film, Roy received a strange notification on his phone.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Stepping outside, Roy turned left towards where he had parked the van. \u201cThat\u2019s when he noticed it was gone,\u201d said his sister, Kim, who lives in Street. \u201cHe believes he might\u2019ve even seen a van driving off, but he can\u2019t be sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The timing couldn\u2019t have been more brutal. Roy was already navigating the emotional toll of Dylan\u2019s latest hospital admission \u2014 another chapter in a long and harrowing journey that began in 2015.<\/p>\n
Dylan was a vibrant, playful three-year-old \u2014 just weeks away from turning four \u2014 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\u2019s nightmare.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had a respiratory and cardiac arrest at home,\u201d Kim recalls. \u201cHe had a total downtime of 45 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/0_LC_200525stolenvan_01.jpg\")
Dylan who lives with Global Hypoxic Ischemia<\/p>\n
The oxygen deprivation left Dylan with global brain damage. His diagnosis \u2014 Global Hypoxic Ischemia \u2014 meant that every part of his brain was affected. In the years since, Dylan has become completely dependent on those around him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDylan is non-mobile, non-verbal, tube-fed,\u201d Kim explained. \u201cHe has epilepsy, dystonia, and requires non-invasive ventilation overnight. Someone has to be with him at all times. Every aspect of daily care \u2014 it all has to be done for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Dylan back in hospital, the pressure on Roy and Ally is immense. \u201cAlly hasn\u2019t really been home since this latest admission,\u201d says Kim. \u201cShe\u2019s only managed about five hours away. She holds herself together, but it takes a toll.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roy, too, is struggling to juggle it all \u2014 his responsibilities as a father, a partner, and a breadwinner. \u201cThings are tight,\u201d Kim admits. \u201cBoth of them are unable to work right now, so they\u2019ve had to tighten the purse strings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Being self-employed, Roy\u2019s tools aren\u2019t just tools \u2014 they\u2019re his ability to earn. Losing them, along with the van, effectively shut down his only source of income.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything he needs to work was in that van,\u201d Kim says. \u201cAnd now it\u2019s all gone. He\u2019s only managing at the moment because he\u2019s borrowing a van and tools from a good friend.\u201d<\/p>\n
The generosity of others has kept him afloat, for now. \u201cLuckily, he has some great friends who\u2019ve offered to help \u2014 be it with tools, a van, or even some work. But it\u2019s not a long-term fix.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seeing her brother in crisis, Kim did what she could and set up a JustGiving page. \u201cThe response has been overwhelming,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been really touched by people\u2019s donations, even the little messages of support. Every single one has meant the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/0_LC_200525stolenvan_03.jpg\")
The van which has been stolen<\/p>\n