While it’s fundamentally horrifying that GoFundMe has become (for all intents and purposes) a primary source of insurance in this country, it’s still heartwarming to see people rallying around a beloved figure in their hour of need. Fans of ’80s and ’90s rock and roller Matthew Sweet heeded the call in a big way this week, after the “Girlfriend” singer reportedly suffered a “debilitating” stroke while on tour with Hanson in Toronto. “[Sweet] has been unexpectedly and tragically forced off the road and onto a long, uncertain path to recovery,” the artist’s management posted in the description of a GoFundMe they set up to help cover his medical bills. “Without insurance or touring income, Matthew faces an enormous financial burden.”
It’s a heartbreaking state of affairs that unfortunately happens way too often, but the enormous amount of money raised in the past 24 hours should lighten the load for Sweet and his family just a little bit. As of this writing, the GoFundMe is up to $223,910 and counting. ($1,000 came in just as this writer was typing out that number.) At this rate, it seems like the fundraiser may even outpace its initial $250,000 goal.
The money will help cover Sweet’s expenses while he recovers in a “specialized rehabilitation center, where he will receive around-the-clock care and therapy for six weeks.” He needs to be flown to the facility from Canada on a specialized “ambulance transport plane with medical staff on board,” which certainly won’t help the overall bill. After he’s discharged, he’ll still “require months of treatment and rehabilitation that we hope will lead to a full recovery,” his management explained. “Needless to say, the costs for all of this treatment will be overwhelming.”
Sweet was a primary figure in the power pop revival of the 90s, with albums like 1991’s Girlfriend (which Paste included on their “90 Best Albums Of The 1990s” list) and 1995’s 100% Fun. It’s no wonder he’s still on the road at 60. “Collecting art has been a very valuable thing for me in terms of thinking about what I do,” he told The A.V. Club in a 2000 interview. “The more I can make things that make me happy, the more I’ll be an artist with an identity.”
You can donate to Sweet’s GoFundMe here.
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