For once, Andrew O'Donnell needs YOUR help

Hi, my name is Trevor Spencer. I am a friend of Andrew O'Donnell.

He is the owner of LAD Automotive, located in Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia.

Andrew is an extraordinary person, and one of the most talented mechanics I know. He has been helping people in the greater HRM community for years - often being called after hours or during his personal time to help countless people with many different mechanical disasters. I have yet to see Andrew fail in fixing something or finding a solution. His attitude is always positive and he has the ability to inspire confidence in those around him. His generous nature often spans beyond his mechanical abilities - often offering to help other people when they have nowhere to turn.

He is a father of two great kids. Over the past number of years, Andrew has worked very hard to finally realize his goal of operating his own business (LAD Automotive). For anyone starting their own business, especially in the automotive industry, this can pose a great challenge. However, after a few setbacks, he was able to set up shop in Hammonds Plains 2 years ago. Things have been going very well. This spring, Andrew was evacuated due to the wildfires that affected the community - and lost a week of work at that time. However he quickly recovered. His abilities and reputation have had his schedule mostly overwhelmed.

However, on the morning of Sept. 13th 2023, everything changed in a matter of minutes.

While working on a customer's car an oxy/acetylene tank, located a few feet away (not in use at the time) failed and exploded in a ball of fire - giving Andrew a few seconds to run. Within 5-10 minutes, the entire shop was fully engulfed in flames. He was able to escape with just his phone - and managed to call 911. The fire response was rapid, however once they arrived, the building was totally engulfed - without any chance of saving the structure.

Andrew lost everything he owns. Minutes after be allowed back on the scene, he was not able to recover anything. Every single item was burned beyond recognition. Every socket, wrench, etc, was heat damaged and rendered unusable. He has spent his career building his tool chest along with the required tools and devices needed to run a full service repair business. The lifts, tire changer, balancer, air compressor, to name a few things were all lost. He had several items that held significant sentimental value - one being a mug his kids gave him - saying "I can fix it" We recovered the mug, which was broken into many pieces. I will be attempting to repair it the best I can. That was the only item recovered.

I personally witnessed the aftermath - and I am still shocked at the level of destruction.

Andrew does have some insurance. However the coverage will not come close to recovering a vast majority of the items he needs to earn his living and support his family. As well, with any fire, there is a process and insurance claims take time (months). Andrew will need to find work while he considers rebuilding his business. However without any tools - he is unemployable by most shops.

Many people and businesses depend on Andrew to keep their cars, trucks, and fleet vehicles in top working order. Anyone that knows him, understands how talented, honest and fair he is. The time has come for all of us to help fix things for him and his family. I am asking everyone to please consider helping him out by donating as soon as possible. He asks so little from anyone - and helps so many.

Thank you.