Beloved New York City punk and folk rocker Jesse Malin has been paralyzed from the waist down since May after suffering a rare spinal-cord infarction — a stroke in his back — during a night out in the East Village.
Despite receiving neurological care at Langone Orthopedic Center at NYU Hospital, Jesse's diagnosis is inoperable, but there is hope that he can walk again using a combination of traditional and alternative medical therapies.
Affectionately known as the 'Mayor of the Lower East Side,' Jesse has long been a fixture in the NYC music scene, playing, producing and supporting shows in the five boroughs and beyond. You'd be hard-pressed to find a benefit concert in the city that didn't have Jesse involved in some capacity.
The singer-songwriter's path back onto his feet will be long, difficult and expensive. And like most people, his insurance won't fully cover his long-term care and rehab, so Jesse and his team are asking for your help via the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.
Jesse was a few weeks removed from celebrating the 20th anniversary of his debut solo album at Webster Hall when he felt a burning pain in his lumbar region during dinner.
The singer-songwriter had gathered with friends to mark one year since the death of his former D-Generation bandmate and best friend Howie Pyro when he collapsed onto the floor of the restaurant, suddenly unable to walk.
In a conversation with Rolling Stone from June, Malin recalled the nightmarish incident and how he was carried by his friends to an ambulance, which then rushed him to Mount Sinai Hospital.
"This is the hardest six weeks that I've ever had," he said from an NYU rehab facility at the time. "I'm told that they don't really understand it, and they're not sure of the chances. The reports from the doctors have been tough, and there's moments in the day where you want to cry, and where you're scared. But I keep saying to myself that I can make this happen. I can recover my body."
Proceeds from donations to Jesse's fund are tax-deductible and will go towards his care. Learn more about how you can help here.
"I always felt that we have a voice with these microphones and with these guitars and with these venues to help each other out. But it's very hard to me to take back and be that person," he told Rolling Stone. "I don't want to be a burden, but I'm learning. Just laying here and not being able to walk, it's very humbling."
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Photo: Getty Images North America