Family of well-loved London, Ont. barber Eddie Lopez seeks accessible home
In the summer of 2022, London, Ont. barber and business owner Eddie Lopez suffered a brain aneurysm, heart attack, stroke, and seizure while watching his daughter Anastaysa play soccer at a tournament in Ottawa.
Life turned upside down for the family.
“It’s been a lot, for sure,” said Anistasya while talking with CTV News on Thursday.
“We’re all struggling, all of us, but you know we’re just stronger together,” added her mom, Lopez’s wife Jody Davis.
Shortly after that incident, an online crowd-funding campaign was set up to help the family with bills and other living expenses.
Now 38, Lopez continues to recover at Parkwood Hospital in London. “He is doing really, really good right now, actually,” said Davis. “He’s talking, eating regularly, moving his arms and legs and things like that, so he’s doing really, really well.”
Once again, the family is in need of aid. Once Lopez is well enough to be released from hospital and come home, he’ll need accessible housing.
Right now, they’re in a two storey townhouse. They’re looking for a new home to rent, but so far they have struck out.
London barber and business owner Eddie Lopez continues to recover at Parkwood Hospital. (Source: Submitted)
“A place where it’s a one floor place is what we’ve been trying to find,” said Davis. “Preferably with a stand-up shower so that I can roll him in there. It’s hard because places are also very expensive. And technically, although he has a business, he’s not working, so he doesn’t really make money from that. Prices right now are just crazy.”
Karla McLean, the chair of The Angel Project, a charity that supports people living with disabilities, told CTV News that they’re getting a significant number of requests for people who need help with home modifications, such as chair lifts. When it comes to finding accessible housing in Ontario, she said the struggle is real.
“It’s almost impossible. We’re finding it very, very difficult for people now to secure any kind of rental with a disability that is accessible for them. Advocate, advocate for your loved one, for yourself, if you have a disability and you’re trying to secure accommodation.”
She advises people to work with their landlords to modify homes to meet accessibility needs and standards.
If you have an accessible home for rent, you can contact Jody Davis at 519-872-2288.
In the meantime, Anistasya said the family is staying strong and positive just like her dad, “From what I’ve seen in the hospital, he’s always pushing, he’s still the most positive guy I know. I really thought that maybe he’d be angry all the time, but he’s always smiling and laughing at all times.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.