HANWELL, N.B. -- A long-time New Brunswick football coach just got the green light to start driving again after having his foot amputated nearly two years ago. Now, after giving back to the youth in his community for years, he needs some help on the road to the recovery.

Andrew Allaby’s life changed in 2019, when complications from a diabetic ulcer resulted in having his right foot amputated.

“It’s not handicapping me, if you will. I just do things a little differently now,” says Allaby. “I get dressed a little differently, I shower a little differently, stuff like that.”

The Hanwell, N.B. resident says it was hard at first, but he’s managed to stay positive.

“It was like, ‘okay, you know what? I got dealt a bad hand, I’ll play it’. And ever since then it’s been like ‘okay, let’s do this’,” says Allaby.

For more than 25 years, Allaby was involved with New Brunswick football as a dedicated coach and volunteer.

“To think about all of the kids that I met over the years, I got to think it’s a few thousand, easily,” says Allaby. “I met a lot of good people, both on and off the field.”

Allaby has started a new chapter in his life, but now he’s the one in need of a little help.

He hopes to get back out in the sports community, and now a GoFundMe page has been set up by Allaby’s sister to help him get there.

“One of his goals was to be able to drive again, so I decided to do this fundraiser with his approval, just to make sure he can have the van looked after,” says Heidi Boulter, Allaby’s sister. “It hasn’t been driven in almost two years, so it will need all the inspections, and the insurance, and the safety.”

A left-foot gas pedal also needs to be installed into the van to help Allaby get back in the driver’s seat, which for him means just one thing.

“Freedom… one word, Freedom,” says Allaby.

The next step for Allaby is to find a wheelchair accessible apartment, which he is on the waiting list for.