Carrying on a legacy

LYNN – He wore out three sets of wheelchair tires crossing the country in 2010, and loved ones said Matthew Eddy Jr.?s legacy as a tireless advocate for the severely disabled will live on through Matt?s Place, Eddy?s help and outreach organization.Eddy, 38, died on May 5 after exceeding what longtime caretaker Ron Steenbruggen described as the average life expectancy for someone who lived most of his life with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Diagnosed with the disease at the age of 4, Eddy spent his life in a wheelchair with near-constant care from Steenbruggen and others.His father, Matthew Eddy Sr., said Eddy shrugged off his limitations.?His motto was, ?Having a disability doesn?t mean you can?t do what you want,?” Steenbruggen said.Eddy loved music, trolling online sites and making models. He also ranged far from the Walnut Street home where he lived with his dog, Lila. On the last day of his life, he logged 8 miles in his wheelchair on the Topsfield rail trail.?It was one of his favorite places,” his father said.Eddy left Lynn Beach on June 5, 2010 in his wheelchair on a 126-day journey across the United States accompanied by Steenbruggen and others. He finished the trip in Long Beach, Calif.?We had a camera mounted on his wheelchair. I remember people coming out of their houses to clap for him. Tears were running down my face,” his father said.Eddy founded Matt?s Place in 2006, according to Steenbruggen, to help the severely disabled find ways to live independently. Eddy Sr. and Steenbruggen said Matt?s Place will continue providing ways to educate families with physically limited family members, especially individuals who depend on medical ventilators to live.Eddy is also survived by his mother, Darlene, four siblings, and longtime friend and personal care attendant Jade Salee. Steenbruggen first met Eddy while working as his respiratory therapist 15 years ago.Eddy?s father said Steenbruggen used his carpentry skills in 2013 to help renovate Eddy?s small Walnut Street home into a fully accessible residence with varnished wood floors and walls, a roll-in bathroom and a desk custom-built for Eddy?s easy access.The backyard includes a fireplace and wood ramps, and the kitchen?s centerpiece is a freestanding counter built from wood Eddy salvaged off a roadside.?He was all about the environment and saving stuff,” Steenbruggen said.The model of a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is still laid out neatly on the custom desk. Eddy said his son asked him to work on the model with him about a month ago.The pair finished assembling the model?s miniature engine two days before Eddy?s death.Eddy and Steenbruggen said they are gradually beginning to remember their son and friend with joy instead of sadness. Eddy hopes the day will come soon when he can return to the rail trail where his son loved to roll along.?That?s going to be my place to go,” he said.