Texan singer-songwriter Ryan Hamilton has launched a GoFundMe to raise money for medical expenses after being diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a rare and often aggressive form of cancer.
"I never imagined I would be creating a GoFundMe to afford to fight for my life," says Hamilton. "But I also never imagined I'd be sitting in an ICU being told I had a rare form of cancer.
"I'm a dad, and more than anything else in this world, I want to be here to watch my daughter grow up. I have songs I haven't written yet. Shows I haven't played yet. Friends and family I love, and a whole lot of life I'm not finished living."
Hamilton says that he has health insurance and also qualifies for financial assistance, but the expenses involved in his treatment are "overwhelming."
"To put it into perspective, just one of the medications I have to take costs approximately $300 per pill," he says. "I have to take one every day for at least the next two years. That's roughly $219,000 for one medication alone. And right now, I'm taking eight different prescriptions.
"That doesn't include everything else that comes with cancer treatment: ongoing oncology care, chemotherapy and other treatments, testing, scans, hospital expenses, follow-up appointments, and the financial reality of trying to recover and work while undergoing treatment."
Hamilton is a former member of indie-folk/pop duo Smile Smile and power-pop act People On Vacation, formed with Bowling For Soup frontman Jaret Reddick. After his debut solo album Hell Of A Day gained traction in the UK, he formed Ryan Hamilton and The Traitors, who toured with The Wildhearts. And later, he released the charity single Fuck You Brain with Ginger Wildheart in order to raise awareness of mental health issues.
After signing to Stevie Van Zandt'sWicked Cool Records, Hamilton released two albums as Ryan Hamilton & The Harlequin Ghosts and toured with The Alarm. He stepped away from music in 2023, but was coaxed back into action by Van Zandt and released his latest album, Haunted By American Dreams, in July this year.
