There’s no real way to start this so we’ll just jump in. Earlier this month, Ryan Stoner, the owner of the punk/grind/undefinable nastiness record label Anthems of the Undesirable, received the worst kind of news: His three-year-old daughter, Aidy, had an MRI that revealed a large tumor at the base of her cerebellum. She had emergency surgery to remove it, and they were successful at taking out about 93% of it. Right now, they’re awaiting the pathology report but regardless of the outcome it’s still going to be long, difficult, and (unfortunately, thanks to the American excellence that is our healthcare system) excruciatingly expensive. As a father, I can only imagine what the Stoner family is going through.
Friends of the Stoner family have opened up two donation sites (see below) and Ryan is running a promotion on his label site for 20% off your order to help fund his daughter’s recovery and his family’s ability to be the support their daughter is going to need.
You’d have to be an asshole not to be moved by this, but it especially hits hard for me because my girlfriend was diagnosed in 2019 with Stage 4 brain and lung cancer. The amount of stress and emotional bullshit that came with it for both of us was critically intense and something we’re both (especially her) still processing. Keep in mind that she’s an adult. The patient we’re talking about here is three fucking years old. Try to imagine how she’s feeling, how she’s processing this experience when she’s still new to the world. Now put yourself in the shoes of her parents who have to guide her through this, all while not showing her that they’re scared and stressed. The last thing parents maneuvering through this unimaginable hell should be worried about is money. That’s where we can ease some of this burden.
And if you’re the type of person who feels the need for some kind of reward for your charity, Ryan releases some really unique and killer shit. The Oxygen Tank 7-inch is especially great, being the vinyl pressing of my favorite demo of 2021 featuring Chris Colohan (Cursed, Sect) and Morgan Carpenter (Hive) playing violent old-school hardcore. If powerviolence, grind or harsh punk is your bag then you’re sure to find something. Only thing I ask is that you forget the 20% off sale exists and pay full price. Those extra few dollars truly will make a difference.
All relevant links are below. I hate that time and time again we have to be the ones to lift up our community instead of the healthcare system of this country being irreparably broken and only used as a talking point in fundraising emails from Nancy or Mitch but this is the reality of America. And this is a three-year-old girl and her parents’ reality right now. Everything helps.
Aidy Stoner GoFundMe links:
Support the Stoner Family GoFundMe
Adelaide’s Recovery Fund GoFundMe
Anthems of the Undesirable links:
Anthems of the Undesirable Bandcamp
Anthems of the Undesirable Big Cartel store
