Single mom and disabled son struggle to find affordable ride after accessible van vandalized

A single mother and her disabled, terminally ill son are facing an overwhelming transportation crisis after their accessible van was vandalized beyond repair.

On the morning of Nov. 20, Rebecca Dooley was greeted with a not-so-welcome surprise as she was preparing to drive her son Noor to school.

“I noticed my front windshield was smashed. But then I started walking around and I noticed my door was damaged. I also noticed the rear windshield was completely smashed in. He took away a lot of my feelings of security that I have,” she told CTV News.

Dooley immediately reported the incident to Waterloo Regional Police, along with her insurance company.

“Police received a report of property damage in the area of Sydney Street South in Kitchener,” said Const. Brad Hickey in an email to CTV News. “Sometime between 3 a.m. and 3:20 a.m., on Nov. 20, 2024, an unknown suspect caused damage to a parked vehicle in a parking lot. The suspect then gained entry to the vehicle and stole personal property. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information or video footage of this incident is encouraged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.”

The vehicle, which was crucial for getting to medical appointments at SickKids and McMaster Children’s Hospital, was declared a write-off by Dooley’s insurance company, leaving the family without a reliable way to travel.

“It has been difficult,” said Dooley. “We're basically stuck at home due to his mental and his physical needs and his just different disabilities.”

Rebecca Dooley and her son Noor sit together on Nov. 25, 2024. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV News)

10-year-old Noor, who has Hattersley Urano syndrome, genetic diabetes and generalized intractable epilepsy, suffers from frequent seizures and requires regular medical care.

“In public, that can be quite overwhelming dealing with that. We're not actually able to use public transit. It is unsafe for him,” she explained.

Securing a suitable replacement or rental vehicle has proven nearly impossible.

“Initially, when I contacted the insurance company, they had agreed to a rental for up to 30 days, but their limit was $50 a day and that was just a typical minivan as opposed to a wheelchair van. They're outlandishly expensive. When I bought it seven years ago, it was $50,000. They're now going for around $90,000.”

Accessible vehicles are expensive, and rentals that accommodate wheelchairs are limited in availability. While she was offered a payout, Dooley says it's not enough to get a safe, reliable replacement.

“Most major rental companies wouldn't actually carry rental vans that are wheelchair accessible just because they are not highly used and they're expensive to maintain,” she said. “I found a company up in Etobicoke that does wheelchair van rentals. It's under $200 a day, which is still quite expensive. It's nothing that I can afford to do myself, and when I approached the insurance company with it, I haven't heard back.”

Dooley is also worried about missing appointments that Noor cannot afford to skip.

“Rescheduling and taking them to online…that's really not great because doctors need to be able to see him to understand where he's at in terms of his disease.”

Dooley says their situation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by those who rely on accessible transportation.

“I would love to see this person brought to - I wouldn't say to justice - but some sort of accountability and protect other families from experiencing the same thing.”

Dooley’s sister has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for a new accessible van, hoping that the community will rally to help.