The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund charity has launched a fundraiser to help David Johansen, the last surviving member of the New York Dolls, as he battles cancer.
Having broken his back in two places as the result of a fall after Thanksgiving, the musician is now bed-ridden and requires around-the-clock care, according to an exclusive report by Rolling Stone. And, via Sweet Relief, the singer is asking for donations to help cover his physical therapy, full-time nursing requirements, and living expenses.
“We’ve been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation,” Johansen says in a statement. “This is the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. I’ve never been one to ask for help, but this is an emergency. Thank you.”
Johansen's daughter, Leah Hennessey, says, “As some, but not many of you know, David has been in intensive treatment for stage 4 cancer for most of the past decade. Five years ago at the beginning of the pandemic we discovered that David’s cancer had progressed and he had a brain tumor. There have been complications ever since. He’s never made his diagnosis public, as he and my mother Mara are generally very private people, but we feel compelled to share this now, due to the increasingly severe financial burden our family is facing.”
As part of the fundraising effort, Sweet Relief has created a special David Johansen T-shirt, for purchase with all proceeds from sales of the shirt to go to the singer's treatment.
“Together we have endured crisis after crisis, but with the support of our community we hope to carry on laughing and loving our way through this most trying of times,” says Leah Hennessey. “Thank you for embracing our family, and for your love and generosity.”
Read more and make donations here.
