JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville community leader is facing a long recovery after being severely shocked by a stove while preparing for the grand opening of her new business, according to a GoFundMe set up by the family.
Chef Lorna Lopez relocated from New York during the pandemic. She is known in Jacksonville as “That Lemonade Lady,” a vendor at popups like the Jax Melanin Market, community events and farmers markets like the Beach Boulevard Flea Market. For the last five years, she has offered samples of her lemonade and served cold-pressed juice, emphasizing all-natural ingredients with no added sugar or water, and New York street food.
She focused on Jacksonville’s underserved teens, particularly those without stable family support. She launched the “Stop Being Thirsty Dehydration Campaign and worked to develop youth hospitality programs aimed at teaching culinary and retail skills, as well as job readiness.
“She had just brought in another group of young adults right before she got electrocuted. They were so sweet,” her daughter and business partner Jaila Wyche said.
Lopez was severely shocked by a stove while preparing to open her new community kitchen and farmers market, Yellow Bodega, the family said. The electric shock caused a sudden surge of abnormal electrical activity in her brain, leading to convulsions, seizures, and potential long-term neurological issues.
“Most of the time [the seizures are] small, but every now and again — maybe two or three times a month — they are really, really severe,” Wyche said. “She just had another one last night, so she can’t move the left side of her body, and the left side of her face is paralyzed.”
Yellow Bodega is a project inspired by the neighborhood stores in New York that she viewed as safe havens for children. She hoped to replicate that model in North Florida by offering a space where young people could gather, learn and feel supported.
“Her passion has always been trying to take care of the youth that get lost in the shuffle — who don’t have family, who may be foster kids or orphans,” she said. “She’s always trying to create a safe space for them.”
Lopez’s only financial support came from her businesses, which she had to close, including That Lemonade at Beach Boulevard Flea Market, Manufacturing on Moncrief Road, and The Yellow Bodega in Springfield.
Despite the challenges, the family says support from the Jacksonville community has been overwhelming. Still, they anticipate significant medical expenses in the months ahead.
“She’s always been a humanitarian. She’s a really big give-back person — and she needs help,” Wyche said.
Click here to support the GoFundMe.