Bad Brains’ H.R. Raising Money to Combat Rare Headache Disorder
Bad Brains singer H.R. has started a GoFundMe page in order to raise money for his medical bills stemming from his struggles with SUNCT, a rare condition that causes sufferers to endure cluster headaches. News of H.R.’s health issues comes less than a week after the legendary punk band’s guitarist Dr. Know launched a GoFundMe page to recoup $100,000 in medical expenses after suffering from cardiac arrest that left him on life support.
In H.R.’s case, the singer is seeking $30,000 to fight the “neurobiological disorder” using methods not covered by health insurance. H.R.’s wife and caregiver Lori detailed the singer’s struggles on the GoFundMe page. “He has a neurobiological disorder and has also had severe headaches for years. The headaches have gotten progressively worse; in November, he began living with almost constant pain,” she wrote. “There is no known cure and no reliable medical treatment.”
According to the GoFundMe page, H.R. has dealt with “several health issues” in recent years that he’s been able to overcome, but the headaches remain a constant.
“In the past six months, he’s been to the emergency room twice, had an overnight in the hospital, has seen two neurologists, and so far he has a diagnosis and found a pain medication that worked well for a while but is not safe to take long-term — so it’s two steps forward, three steps back,” Lori wrote. “As a clinical herbalist, you can be sure that I have also been tapping into my extensive knowledge of natural medicine. Nothing is working YET. I know what we need to try next, including acupuncture and some herbal preparations, however we can’t manage the costs of these treatments.”
The GoFundMe page for H.R. has raised over $5,000 in its first 24 hours; Dr. Know’s page has brought in over $43,000 in less than a week.
“I am a full-time caregiver. I work a full-time retail management job with varying shifts,” Lori added. “I manage H.R.’s calendar and business as best as I can, I’ve been trying really hard to work on extra projects to bring in some extra money (very slow going). I take care of the apartment, the car, the bills, H.R.’s doctor appointments, everything. I do all of the things. And now I can’t sleep because my husband is crying out in pain all night. On top of the physical stress of shift work and not getting enough sleep, the emotional and psychological stress of watching him be in pain and not being able to do a damn thing about it is wearing me down. He needs me to be around more and he needs me to be at my best. I can’t do this alone anymore. We need your help.”
H.R.’s GoFundMe page encouraged fans to contribute toward Dr. Know’s medical expenses as well. “I want to make sure you are aware that there is also a GoFundMe for Dr. Know,” Lori wrote. “At around the same time as H.R.’s headaches became more severe, Dr. Know suffered cardiac arrest and ended up on life support. He is still in rehab — please check out his support fund for more information.”