FOR RYLAN: A Dad, a Hilux and the Road to the Cape

Rylan was only 18, but he had already packed more life into those years than most.

He was a larrikin, an adventurer and the kind of bloke who made himself known wherever he went. If he jumped his bike, he wanted to jump it further. If he caught a wave, he wanted a bigger one. And long before he even had his licence, he was already pulling apart his N70 Hilux and planning what it would become.

Then, without warning, everything changed.

A life lived flat out

What began as what appeared to be an ordinary illness rapidly became something far more serious. Rylan contracted meningococcal meningitis, suffered a stroke and never woke up.

He had turned 18 only three weeks earlier.

Even after his death, Rylan continued helping others. His organs were donated to four different families, giving them another chance at life.

But for his dad, Tim, his family and the huge circle of mates he left behind, life would never be the same.

More than a Hilux

Rylan had a long list of plans for his truck. He would regularly come to Tim with another suggestion, always beginning with his own version of: “What about?”

What about a bigger lift? What about a different engine? What about taking it all the way to Cape York?

Tim is now working through that list, finishing the Hilux the way Rylan wanted it built.

The plan is to eventually take the truck to Cape York, a place Rylan loved and always wanted to return to in his own four-wheel drive, and take part of him along for the journey.

But the Hilux isn’t the only thing carrying Rylan’s memory.

Tim kept the shed open to Rylan’s mates. It became somewhere they could work on their trucks, learn new skills, watch the footy, have a laugh or simply sit around other people when being alone with their thoughts felt like too much.

Sometimes blokes don’t need the perfect words. They just need somewhere to go and someone willing to stand beside them.

As one of the boys says in the film:

“If I just stand next to him, he is not standing by himself.”

That line stayed with plenty of people who watched the film. Viewers spoke about hugging their kids a little tighter, calling their mates and being reminded that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.

Why Blokes Advice shared Rylan’s story

Tim never came to Blokes Advice asking for anything. He simply told us about Rylan, the Hilux, the shed and the journey he hoped to complete.

We asked how we could help.

What Tim wanted most was for Rylan’s story to be shared far and wide, so that more people could understand who his son was and what he had left behind.

That became the first full-length Blokes Advice film.

Since its release, the four-wheel-drive community has rallied around Tim, the shed and Rylan’s Hilux. The build is continuing, with more people and businesses putting their hands up to help bring it together.

The trip to Cape York has been postponed, giving the boys time to get the truck into tip-top shape and make sure they can complete the journey properly.