Help Joe Hardcore Get Back on his Feet!

Hello friends! Our good friend Joe “Hardcore” McKay has recently fallen on some tough times after a work injury and needs the support of his community more than anything right now.

From Joe –

“We, Shattered Realm, had the best time on our return to the United Kingdom! Playing awesome shows with Desolated and having an amazing day together as a band in London the following day. Thank you to all who came out to support us.

This last year has been hard, as I had torn my ligament in my right foot in a jobsite injury. I spent months healing, recovering and the change of lifestyle was a lot to deal with. Returning to work in mid-April, everything started to feel like I was back to normal and I was excited to get back on the stage and to travel again. The night before we flew back to the US, my left foot started to throb and it was mildly sore. I didn't trip, fall or do anything acute to damage it, but by the time we were heading to our flight, putting weight on it was difficult. Returning stateside, Jess had to push me through passport control in a wheelchair. The following morning, a trip to the ER, blood clots were ruled out, but the diagnosis was that I overcompensated on my left foot due to my previous injury which has caused a bout of Tendonitis in my achilles. The orthopedic specialist confirmed this a few days ago as well.

While being out of work in the winter, I received workman’s compensation throughout. This injury is different and not covered. We are currently not bringing in the same income to cover a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks of being out of work. As my work is concrete, there is no light duty options available for me. Additionally, contractors will not allow workers to work with a medical boot. We are facing weeks of no income with bills, next month's rent and just the basics that won't be covered by the minimum that may come in from unemployment.

Usually through the year, I work plenty of overtime to cover small emergencies but being on the fixed income of a workmen's comp, I don't have that cushion to make things work right now. This is the distressful moment of finally getting back on two feet, only to injure what was the "Good" foot and being unable to make ends meet.”

Joe needs his community of friends to come together and help him stay afloat for the next two months, allowing him time to recover fully with no financial stress over his head. Everyone who knows Joe, knows what a loyal friend he is and that he is not one to ever ask for help. Now is the time to help Joe if you can, every dollar makes a difference.

The money donated will go to their rent, monthly bills for July, and other household expenses accrued monthly. This will also provide a small cushion, as the timeline is anticipated to be 4-6 weeks, but this is not a guarantee. Please come together and help Joe and Jesse through this tough time.