Singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet has shared a health update revealing that he may never be able to strum the guitar again. In October, in the wake of him suffering a "debilitating" stroke while touring in Toronto, a GoFundMe campaign was launched.
At the time, his GoFundMe revealed that he had to cut his tour short and grapple with mounting medical costs. Out of a $750,000 goal, about $502,629 has been raised via donations from over 8.5K patrons. In an update posted to the same, Matthew Sweet stated:
"I’ve lived through the day where I realized I may never play guitar again, I’ve lived through the day where I realized I may never draw a straight line again or enjoy the pasttime that developed over just the last year of my life, painting with fountain pens and coloring with dip pens and ink."
Matthew Sweet vows to fight the aftermath of his stroke, says he'll keep trying to make music
In the December 7 update, Matthew Sweet reflected on the day he suffered the stroke. He was touring in Toronto, Canada at the time. He recalled waking up to find himself in an ambulance as a man yelled at him about his stroke. He recalled not remembering what it meant, as he was being flown back to the States.
He also revealed that he had to stay 10 days at the Toronto Western Hospital before he was cleared to go home. Read a part of Matthew Sweet's update:
"Do you know where you are? What is the date? What is the year? What is your name? Where are you?” These are the things I was asked every day - “Push up with your right leg. Push up with your left leg.” I noticed there were bruises all over my left arm because it was hanging there, unable to move on its own. The only way they would let me travel back to the states was with a medical crew, on an airplane and straight into a rehabilitation hospital. The cost of all these things was already astronomical. What is mankind doing? To not make these things available as part of our culture everywhere."
He reflected on what it would be like for him and his wife, Luisa, as she is now tasked with caring for him their whole lives. His statement goes on:
"I’ve lived through the day where I realized I may never draw a straight line again or enjoy the pasttime that developed over just the last year of my life, painting with fountain pens and coloring with dip pens and ink. I understand now what it means to need to reinvent oneself, when the self you knew before is gone, you have no other choice, you either quit or you keep going and so I feel I must keep going, and I feel a great burden to do so with such incredible support that you, many of whom I do not know, have given me."
Matthew Sweet added:
"This hope I cannot feel whether I could have had on my own. I will try to make music. I will try to. I will try to make art. I will try to express myself, because that is all I have ever known and all that has ever brought me joy, throughout a life filled with more sadness than anyone could know what to do with, than any of us know what to do with, and that’s life. May you all today find a glimmer of hope and love and a future to strive toward the way you have helped me find it, every one of you."
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Matthew Sweet's initial GoFundMe was launched to raise $250,000. However, it has since grown to cover his mounting medical expenses. As for his Toronto tour, back in October, he revealed in a statement via Instagram that he would be pausing traveling for a bit to recover.
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