On the road again: David Ashby heading toward Saint Augustine

Fourteen-year-old David Ashby of Orlando is back on the road to Washington, D.C., this week as his younger sister recovers in a Virginia hospital from a devastating accident.

David, who is trying to raise awareness of the nation’s 1.5 million homeless children, suspended his 1,100-mile walk June 17 — just two days after he started in Orlando — when he got word of his sister’s trauma. Ten-year-old Aubrey, who had been staying at her uncle’s home, fell face-first off a bicycle and suffered life-threatening injuries and complications. She was immediately flown to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville.

On Monday, David left First United Methodist Church in DeLand, where he had stopped, and walked 28 miles to Daytona Beach — through thunderstorms and even occasional rock-throwing by passing motorists. The day took its toll.

“Pain was something I expected,” he wrote on his blog, “but not as bad as it was.”

By Wednesday night, he hopes to reach St. Augustine.

Last week, Aubrey underwent an 11-hour surgery to repair some of the damage from the accident. Her mother, Alison Ashby, who had been following David in the family’s van, remains by her daughter’s hospital bedside. A family friend is now watching over David to make sure that he’s safe and drinks enough water. He plans to cover 25 to 35 miles a day to make up for lost time and still reach the nation’s capital by mid-August.

Meanwhile, Aubrey “continues to amaze us with her strength and positive outlook,” Alison Ashby wrote in an e-mail. She said the girl may need more surgery later, and there has been no date set for her release from the hospital. But her long-term prognosis is good.

“She is so awesome,” said neighbor Allie Loveland, whose daughter has been Aubrey’s best friend since the two girls were in first grade together. “She is a person who loves everybody. She’s so engaging. When you see her, you think, ‘What a cute little kid.’ But then when she speaks, she can say things so profound you’re left wondering, ‘Who was that child?’ “

Neighbors, friends and classmates at Princeton Elementary School in College Park have set up a fund and have started a series of fund-raising events for Aubrey’s medical bills, which will be only partly covered by insurance. The accident, Loveland said, also underscores the purpose of David’s walk. For many families, a medical crisis can trigger a financial free-fall.

“This is how quickly you can become homeless,” she said. “Aubrey did everything right. She was wearing a helmet. It was just a freak thing. But all it takes is a child who’s injured.”

Loveland said many people assumed David would abandon his trek, in which he is sleeping in shelters or on the roadside. Instead, it seems to have renewed his resolve.

“This whole turn of events has been almost unbelievable,” said Brent Trotter, president and CEO of the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, which hosted David’s send-off June 15. “But it speaks to his determination to see this through.”