A local 87-year-old man who is looking to work as a trucker in order to supplement his income for himself and his wife has touched the hearts of people all over the world.
News 5 first introduced Robert Blocksom on Tuesday, and since then, dozens of people have emailed or called asking how they can help him and his wife financially. Someone has even offered him a job.
But one woman in Canada took matters into her own hands.
“This is the first time something like this has ever happened to me,” Blocksom said as he FaceTimed with Alexandra Tune.
Tune set up a GoFundMe account for the couple Wednesday night after she read about them in a People.com story based on News 5's reporting.
“I just felt this overwhelming need and desire to help Bob, [but] I did not expect it to blow up like it has,” she said.
She woke up this morning and found $12,000 in donations for Blocksom and counting.
“When I woke up to that, it was an initial shock,” Tune said. “The initial goal was $10,000.”
She’s since upped the goal to $20,000 as the donations keep rolling in.
“It’s sure going to help a lot, and we appreciate it,” Blocksom said.
Blocksom has already had to sell his home, mobile trailer and other assets to help care for his wife’s chronic illness, and now he has run out of options. Re-entering the workforce was a practical solution, but not if Tune can help it.
“We don’t have seniors up here that face the same struggles at least not in the magnitude of having to sell your belongings,” she said.
Tune said the moment she and Blocksom were able to meet through FaceTime was one that will sit in her heart forever.
“I just feel like, since this, we’re probably forever connected,” she said.
