Trucker starts GoFundMe to help make ends meet while recovering from wreck

A truck driver is looking for help taking care of his family after a serious wreck left him with a broken shoulder. 

Truck driver Troy Gibson was driving in West Des Moines, Iowa on June 19th when he was struck head-on by a daycare van. Ten kids were inside of the van at the time of the wreck, and seven sustained minor injuries. Two adults were injured in the wreck, including Gibson, who sustained a broken scapula. 

According to WHO 13, Gibson will need a total of 12 weeks to recover from his injury, which prevents him from working and taking care of his two babies. Gibson and his girlfriend, Violet, have a 19-month-old baby and a 4-month-old baby who was only recently released from the NICU after being born prematurely. 

“I’ve just been in kind of denial, like I feel like I’m okay but I can’t do nothing,” said Gibson. “It’s kind of frustrating. And I had to kind of swallow my pride, you know? It’s kind of hard to change just a diaper. I’ll be doing a diaper, and it’ll just start hurting. And I don’t want to say I need help, but I do.”

Because of the injury and subsequent hardships, Gibson has started a GofundMe for himself with a goal of raising three months worth of family expenses while he goes through the worker’s compensation application process. 

“It’s kind of hard like watching, I don’t want to get emotional, but it’s hard watching him struggle, like internally and not really being able to talk to me about it,” said Violet.

The couple says that the donations will go towards rent, utilities, essentials for their babies, and gas to doctors appointments. Anyone who wants to donate can visit their GoFundMe here.