Walter Trout's family have asked fans for more help as the bluesman's liver disease continues to threaten his life.
The community rallied round last month after it was revealed he couldn’t afford the urgent transplant he needed, raising $125,000 in just four days.
But he’s a victim of two opposing medical guidelines – meaning that if he’s healthy enough to undergo the operation, he’s also healthy enough to be dropped down the transplant queue.
That means more cash is needed to keep him alive until doctors can place him in the ideal situation. So his YouCaring page has raised its target to $250,000, with $181,000 already secured.
His wife Marie says: “It is a constant dual pivot. Doctors want Walter strong enough to withstand the surgery, and his lab numbers need to qualify him – meaning his labs need to show him sicker.
“We will soon find out if he qualifies to fly to Nebraska and get evaluated there. If they accept him as a patient, his labs already qualify him for the surgery there.
“It would be a matter of simply waiting for a liver to become available, and hoping nobody with the same blood type is more ill than him at that time. It could still mean a long wait – but possibly a shorter one that Walter faces here in LA.
“I think Walter comes home tomorrow to the kids and me. Home nursing is at the ready. I so hope we can have him here for a bit, but if Nebraska will take him in for an evaluation we’re out of here.
“Walter is not afraid of death – he just wants to live longer.”
Meanwhile, it’s been announced that a benefit show will be held at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire on May 4, with all proceeds going to Trout’s fund. It’s to feature Roger Chapman, Otis Grand, Bernie Marsden, Ian Parker, Kim Simmons, Danny Bryant, Stevie Smith, Marcus Malone, Mitch Laddie, Lawrence Jones and others. Tickets are on sale from 9am today.
Trout’s latest album The Blues Came Callin’ will be released on June 2 after he insisted the launch go ahead as planned.
