Popular 90s alternative-rock musician Matthew Sweet suffered from a “debilitating” stroke while he and his band were on tour in Toronto, Canada. Sweet, 60, who is most well known for his hit singles, “Girlfriend” and “I’ve Been Waiting,” is expected to require weeks of rehabilitation to recover from the incident. A report from the UK’s Daily Mail has revealed that Sweet’s medical care will be extremely expensive and includes the cost of being flown back to the United States from Canada.
To help pay for the costs of his care, the company that manages his music career has established a GoFundMe and is asking his fans and supporters to contribute if they can.
“Our longtime inspiration and dear friend, suffered a debilitating stroke this past week in Toronto while in the early days of a national tour,” a statement went on to say about Sweet. “He has been unexpectedly and tragically forced off the road and onto a long, uncertain path to recovery. We are asking for financial help in this difficult time from his family, friends, and fans. Without insurance or touring income, Matthew faces an enormous financial burden. The doctors and hospital care in Toronto were instrumental in saving Matthew’s life, but health care is not free for Americans in Canada.”
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The statement continued: ‘He must now be flown back to the States on an ambulance transport plane with medical staff on board, to a specialized rehabilitation center, where he will receive around-the-clock care and therapy for six weeks. ‘He will then require months of treatment and rehabilitation that we hope will lead to a full recovery. Needless to say, the costs for all of this treatment will be overwhelming. We anticipate a total close to a quarter of a million dollars. ‘Your thoughts, love, and support will mean the world to him. But please donate financially if you possibly can. Matthew will be forever grateful to you.’
Fans quickly took to social media after reading the news about Sweet’s stroke, with some expressing disbelief that he has to ask publicly for cash to help provide for his medical care.
‘Un-f***ing-believable that someone like Matthew Sweet is just one medical emergency away from being destitute. I wonder how much money Sony makes from Girlfriend streams?’ one fan said in a post that was published on X.
Sweet’s career began during the 1980s in the music scene of Athens, Georgia. He quickly rose to prominence during the power pop revival of the early 1990s thanks in part to his album “Girlfriend” which came out in 1991.