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Sometimes a simple story can be life-changing.
That’s what happened to James Robertson, a 56-year-old man from Detroit who walks 21 miles to and from work each day. The Detroit Free Press first covered the tale ofRobertson’s grueling commute, explaining that he leaves his home at 8 a.m. and does not return until around 4 a.m. Because Robertson can’t afford to own and maintain a car in the Motor City on his $10.55-per-hour salary, he must rely on public transportation, rides from good samaritans and his own two feet to get him where he needs to go Monday through Friday.
Evan Leedy, a student at Detroit’s Wayne State University, set up a GoFundMe account to help raise money to buy Robertson a car. It began with a simple goal of $5,000 and skyrocketed to over $200,000 from thousands of people after Robertson’s story was picked up my media outlets around the world.
“I am just so stunned,” Robertson told People magazine Tuesday. “Who would have thought that just a simple walk would have turned into this? I would have told you that you were crazy a few days ago … I am taking this as a sign that it’s time I start driving again,” he said. “And getting more than two hours of sleep a night.”
Robertson’s girlfriend, Tanya Fox, echoed a similar shock.
