Sources: SweetRelief.org; RollingStone.com
Jesse Malin is a lifelong artist who has made amazing accomplishments over the years in devoting himself to writing music, playing music and bringing music to people around the world. His catalogue is impressive, consisting of 15 Jesse Malin album releases, four from prior band D Generation, and other various EPs, film and single releases including music from his teenage hardcore band Heart Attack.
Anyone who knows Jesse will tell you he is always the one always there for those in need, as evidenced by his work with Sweet Relief, MusiCares, Light of Day Foundation, Joe Strummer Foundation, Save Our Stages, Joey Ramone Foundation for Lymphoma Research, Joey’s Song, Black Lives Matter, Howl Helps, Positive Panther Benefit, Rock The Night Foundation, Rock Against Racism, Jail Guitar Doors, The Bowery Mission, Road 2 Recovery Foundation, Little Kids Rock Foundation, and food banks around New York City.
For decades, Jesse’s mantra has been one of PMA (Positive Mental Attitude). Now, he needs all of your PMA and help.
He suffered an exceedingly rare spinal-cord infarction — a stroke in his spine — while at dinner with friends to mark the first anniversary of the death of Malin’s former D Generation bandmate and best friend Howie Pyro,. He felt a burning pain in his lumbar region that slowly migrated down his hips, through his thighs, and into his heels. He collapsed onto the floor of the restaurant, unable to walk.
After two weeks at Mount Sinai Hospital, where he underwent various spinal procedures, Malin was transferred to Langone Orthopedic Center at NYU. His days consist of three rounds of physical therapy and rehabilitation, with the short-term goals of teaching him how to move his body without the use of his legs and do daily tasks.
Currently, Jesse is paralyzed from the waist down. There is hope, but it will be a long hard road using both traditional and alternative medical therapies to get him back on his feet.
When he’s discharged later this month, Jesse will be in a wheelchair and will have to relocate from his current walk-up apartment to a new Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant one with an elevator. It won’t be cheap.
“Even though this has been the hardest time of my life, there have been some gifts,” he says. “I knew I had some great friends and great fans and people in this world, and I’m getting to see a lot of that — though I really would have preferred a birthday party.”
A tax-deductible donation for Jesse Malin can be made at SweetRelief.org/JessieMalinFund.