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
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.