MATTHEW SWEET SUFFERS STROKE, GOFUNDME LAUNCHED

Musician and HITS family friend Matthew Sweet, who rose to fame in the '90s with power-pop classics like “Girlfriend” and “I’ve Been Waiting,” suffered a stroke in Toronto on 10/12 while on tour with Hanson. According to Sweet’s longtime management company, Russell Carter Artist Management, he will be unable to tour or perform for the foreseeable future, and a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to crowdsource medical funds for the artist.

Said RCAM's Cathy Lyons, “Matthew Sweet, our longtime inspiration and dear friend, suffered a debilitating stroke this past week in Toronto while in the early days of a national tour. He has been unexpectedly and tragically forced off the road and onto a long, uncertain path to recovery. We are asking for financial help in this difficult time from his family, friends and fans. Without insurance or touring income, Matthew faces an enormous financial burden."

In a 10/23 update to Sweet's GoFundMe page, management confirmed that he has been transported back to Omaha, Nebraska (where the native of Lincoln, Nebraska, has lived since 2013), via medical flight and is expected to make a full recovery—with the help of six weeks of around-the-clock care in a specialized rehabilitation center, followed by months of additional treatment. Medical costs associated with Sweet's care and recovery are estimated to exceed $400,000.

If you’d like to do a mitzvah for Matthew, please go here.