Tristan Roby returned home on Monday following a months-long stay in hospital. He was hit by a car while riding his bike in London’s southwest end in July.
His mother, Abby, turned her living room into a bedroom to welcome her son home.
“It was amazing having him come home,” said Abby Roby.
“He was so excited. He couldn’t stop looking at everything.”
The teen’s return home wasn’t always a guarantee.
“The kid’s determined.”
Roby was first rushed to hospital July 21 after being struck from behind by a vehicle as he rode his bicycle with a friend along Exeter Road near Wonderland Road.
Three days later, Roby would spend his 18th birthday lying in a hospital bed with a traumatic brain injury, a fractured leg, bruised lungs, a broken jaw, and several abrasions and contusions.
Abby Roby said that her son’s health is slowly improving.
He is able to communicate by squeezing a person’s hand in response to their questions, one squeeze means ‘yes’ and two squeezes means ‘no.’ A jaw injury prevents him from speaking more than a couple words, but Roby said her son’s other injuries are healing well.
Still, Roby’s mother says his lengthy recovery is difficult to bear.
“I miss hearing his voice, but it’s going to happen on his timeline, so whether I want to or not I have to be patient.”
While Roby continues to improve, the case surrounding his injuries appears to have stalled. London police have yet to announce a suspect in the hit-and-run.
“If this were your kid, would you not be jumping at the bit for the person to be brought forward?”
In a statement sent to Global News, London police said the investigation is ongoing.
“While we’ve received a number of tips in relation to this investigation, investigators need more,” said police.
“We know that someone out there knows something that will help us, and we really hope that that person (or people) come forward.”