Randy

“I don’t have to worry as much. They keep a pretty good eye on you.”

Despite living with the rare condition spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), Randy is used to being on the move, having spent over 30 years as a musician, and he's travelled coast to coast. SCA becomes progressively debilitating over decades. Eventually, he found he could no longer play his guitar.

At first, he had trouble adjusting to what he calls “civilian life”.

“After I got diagnosed, I was kind of like, what the heck am I gonna do now? I had to quit the music business, which was devastating. I tried having a couple of regular jobs, which did not pan out. I was on disability after that, and I bounced around from place to place. I got evicted from a few places.”

His last residence was in a motel, but he suffered serious injuries after a number of falls.

“I’ve broken bones from head to toe. I’ve had a cerebral haemorrhage. I broke my left ankle really badly. I kept basically wrecking myself.

Randy knew he would need some help. “Finally, I got hooked up and got into this place.”

Four years ago, he moved into an apartment on the second floor of 362 Erb St. W., before later moving down to the lowest level because of his mobility scooter.

Like many other tenants, living at SHOW provides him with peace of mind.

“I don’t have to worry as much. They do daily check-ups on you, and all that kind of stuff. They keep a pretty good eye on you.”

He has a great relationship with the staff, too.

“Leigh-Ann and I are always joking around. So, you know, we all get along, which is good.”