Support Shira's Recovery from a Traumatic Brain Injury

What happened:

On January 5th 2025, our dear friend Shi Shi/Shira was dancing at Bossa Nova Civic Club and within one drink started feeling really weird and became unconscious and collapsed unconscious on the ground near the bar.

Unfortunately the club did not provide an ambulance upon collapse, but luckily a stranger put her in an uber which got her safely home and then a friend took her to the emergency room. After some scans and observing of Shira’s symptoms, the doctor believes the cause was GHB–especially because Shira has no history of seizures, strokes, or fainting. Results showed that Shira suffered an acute subdural hematoma (internal brain bleeding) and fracture in the occipital region of her skull.

Shira had to spend 1 week at the hospital for seizure and hematoma watch, with an average of two brain scans a day and many other tests run and medication administered. We anticipate it will be a while until Shira receives finalized medical bills.

Additionally, she can’t go back to work part time or slowly (it’s all or nothing as a public school teacher) and DJing is not an option right now either. Which means although she’s on medical leave, her finances are impacted and she used all of her days off for the year in the hospital.

This is not only a financial toll, but an emotional one as well as Shira loves her students and can’t partake in any of the other community-based activities she’s a part of for a while. She runs an after school club called “Club Club” where she works with Karl Sholz (@karlalamusic) to teach kids to build speakers, DJ, and produce music. She also started BBLeaders Radio in collaboration with Building Beats, working with youth all over NYC to produce a monthly radio show.

After a week in the hospital, Shira’s finally able to walk, although still struggling to do so for long periods of time. She easily gets headaches from any sort of movement, stuttering, and suffering the effects of PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injuries. Additionally she isn’t able to sleep much due to nightmares and panic from the incident.

The ask is to raise money to help Shira pay the medical bills and any supportive treatment for her recovery (therapy, acupuncture, rehab, physical therapy and brain support).

The ask:

We are asking for the community to come together to raise $10,000 to support Shira during this time. That money will go towards her hospital bills, as well as physical therapy, follow up doctors appointments and psychotherapy for the PTSD she is suffering from as the result of this violent crime.

Alongside the funds necessary for her path towards healing, Shira also wants this horrific event to inspire more conversations and actions that keep our community of NYC and Brooklyn nightlife safe. What happened to Shira can and has happened to other members of our community of dance music and nightlife and NO ONE should feel afraid to go out and enjoy music or socialize with their friends. This is not an isolated incident and we as a community need to make sure that we continue to use our voices and collective power to demand safer spaces for us to create and enjoy art and music in. No one deserves to be drugged, no one deserves to feel unsafe and especially not in the spaces that we all financially and artistically participate in.

Thank you,

Martine and Olivia (two of Shi Shi’s best friends)