As we noted in our Newswire about the GoFundMe campaign launched by Janet Weiss’ sister Julie to help the ex-Sleater-Kinney drummer pay her medical bills after being injured in a car accident on August 10, healthcare in this country is as about as delightful as a nail through the back of the hand. (Not that the palm would be any more pleasant.) But there is a silver lining to this particular cloud of late capitalist dysfunction, and that’s that Weiss’ fanbase has come together to support her in her time of need.
The Weiss family shut down the GoFundMe campaign yesterday with a total of $58,670 raised to assist Janet with the many costs of recovering from a broken collarbone and fractures in both of her legs. (That’s more than double the original $25,000 goal.) She’ll be using a wheelchair for a few months, and will have to take at least three months off from touring with her bands Quasi and Slang while her bass-drum leg knits itself back together. In the original GoFundMe post, Julie Weiss explained that the money would go towards “out-of-pocket medical bills, nursing care, physical therapy, the wheelchair ramp that was installed at [Janet’s] house, and paying for her monthly expenses while she can’t work.”
Weiss also posted a letter thanking fans for the support—material and otherwise—on Twitter, saying, “Your generous outpouring of love, well wishes and financial support this past week has been life changing. Your unflinching solidarity speaks volumes about who we are as a community—kind hearted, compassionate, and true. I will never forget this feeling of you having my back—it will keep me going when I’m afraid and inspire me to push harder when it hurts.” You can read her full statement below.