Our dear friend — and energizer-bunny chef — Jay Hotch experienced a medical emergency that nearly took his life. On Sunday, June 1, while working the Black Keys show at the Greek Theatre, Jay suddenly collapsed and was found unconscious. Thanks to the incredible Rock Med team on-site, he was revived after seven rounds of shocks with a defibrillator and CPR and rushed to the ICU at Alta Bates.
Jay remained in a coma until Monday evening. Since then, he has slowly begun the long road to recovery — and each day truly feels like a miracle. It’s chilling to imagine what could have happened if he’d been home alone or far from immediate medical care. We are so deeply grateful to the first responders and hospital staff who saved his life.
Now, Jay is facing overwhelming financial hardship:
- He spent 9 days in the hospital, including ICU care
- He lost income from what would have been his most lucrative 3-week chef gig of the year
- He must now wear a portable heart monitor for at least 3 months — at a staggering $3,000/month out of pocket
- As an independent contractor, short-term disability support is non existent
And that's not even counting the hospital bills.
If you know Jay, you know his generosity, his humor, his resilience, and his giant heart — the very one we nearly lost. Of course, Jay being Jay, we had to beg him to let us create this GoFundMe. But he needs help, and now is the time for his community to rally around him.
Please consider donating to support Jay’s recovery and help ease the crushing financial burden from this terrifying and life-altering event. Our initial goal is to help cover Jay’s immediate medical expenses for the heart monitor, medicine, and income loss. As costs arise, we may adjust the goal as we learn more about his hospital bills and recovery needs.
Every contribution helps — no amount is too small. If you would like to help support him in different way like a meal, helping with day to day support, booking him for a future event, or just hanging with him while he recovers, please reach out to us to coordinate.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!!
Jay’s Bay Area Family
Beverly, Bronson, Cathy, Iris, Jackie, John, Mara, Scott, and Tom