Olivia Barash, an actress in “Little House on the Prairie,” is facing eviction from her Los Angeles apartment after suffering from a spate of health issues that have left her “bedridden”—while the government shutdown has deprived her of her SNAP benefits.
The 60-year-old actress, who boasts dozens of on-screen credits, including a role in the 1984 hit film “Repo Man,” opened up about her desperate fight to remain in her dwelling in an interview with TMZ, revealing that she has just two weeks to try to raise the funds needed to stay in her home.
Barash explained that she suffered from a stroke three weeks ago—for which she says she has yet to receive adequate health care—and has “no family and hardly any friends left in Los Angeles” whom she can turn to for help.
Her situation was made all the more dire, she said, by an increase in the cost of her rent, which she says will force her to move out of the property, leaving her with nowhere to go.
“I just need help during this terrible time. I didn’t expect this. I want to move to a safe place and be normal again. I just need some assistance right now,” Barash told the outlet.
The actress said she has made every effort to try to raise the funds she needs to pay her increased rent, noting that she applied for disability, only for her application to be denied.
She added that she has no desire to retire, revealing that she was busy at work directing a documentary when she suffered a stroke—and would happily return to a full-time job if she was physically able.
Barash’s plight was also laid bare by her close friend Nanea Reeves, who started a GoFundMe to raise money to help the actress get back on her feet.
“Our dear friend Olivia Barash needs help,” the page description states. “In 2 weeks, she and her dog will be evicted. Her SNAP benefits are not available. She recently had a stroke and has no family in her life, just her friends.”
Reeves praised Barash as “spirited, creative, and very talented,” explaining that the goal of the fundraiser was to gather enough money to pay for the actress’s first and last month’s rent in a new apartment, while also helping her to afford basic necessities while she is unable to work.
“She will need some additional money to make ends meet beyond the meager pension she receives,” Reeves went on. “If you are able to help, it would be so appreciated. With gratitude, Nanea aka friend of Olivia.”
Thus far, the fundraiser has brought in about $13,000 of its $16,000 goal, with Reeves revealing in an update that they are busy figuring out the best course of action for Barash moving forward.
“Thank you, everyone for all of your support! It has really lifted Olivia’s spirits to know that people care about her well-being,” she shared.
“We are working out her housing options now and this money makes this possible! I will post an update as her status changes. Thank you again for your kindness towards someone in need. It is inspiring to see goodness expressed through your actions.”
Barash has previously opened up about her health struggles on her Instagram, telling fans Oct. 19 that she had received an incorrect diagnosis when she first went to the emergency room.
“When what I was told in the ER, were simply, muscle spasms. But were actually seizures. Which led to a stroke. Or several strokes. Yeah. I’m gonna need your help, for sure,” she wrote.
On Nov. 1, she shed more light on her situation, criticizing SAG-AFTRA for “dropping the ball”—although she did not share any other information about what the union had done.
“I don’t know what more I can do to stop this forward progression of time, which appears it will end with me and Pippin on the street, in the greatest loss I’ve experienced in this lifetime,” she wrote.
“I couldn’t imagine that my SAG-AFTRA, where I’ve been a member for the last 55 years, or the music industry for 40 years, would drop the proverbial ball at the time I most need them.”
She added: “This is a cry to you, to everyone who knows me, for help. Please help me. I do not know how to do this correctly and I’m going to possibly die on the streets. I don’t want to. It’s not supposed to be this way. I know it.”