Help Allister EC Twin pay open heart surgery bills
Donation protected
Hi, I'm Marc (One half of EC Twins) posting on behalf of my twin brother Allister, who has spent two weeks (so far) in the INTENSIVE CARE UNIT recovering from massive open heart surgery.
It's one of the hardest things in the world for me to ask for help and I've thought about it a lot, before making the decision to do so. I walked in here with my brother, I refuse to walk out of here without him and I won't leave his side. Obviously open heart surgery is very expensive in the USA and this has been a long process, requiring several stages of treatment, often by world leading specialists. I want my brother to be able to focus solely on his recovery, without being distracted by medical expenses, the cost of hospital stays, recovery & all the stress & financial burden that occurs when rendered with an inability to work & pay bills. The original plan was for me to continue to work & tour alone, until Allister recovers, but until my brother walks out of this hospital I won't either. This is why I've decided to reach out to our friends and ask for whatever support you may be able to offer. If you have the ability to donate I am not sure how to convey my gratitude, other than to say that it will mean more than words can express. Should you feel so kind, I'd be very grateful if you could share the link to spread the word. With all your support, positivity & love EC Twins will be back, full of energy, with huge smiles on our faces, better than ever. I love you all so much and thank you for all your support!
Read on for full details on Allister's story, condition & recovery.
On 6th February 2019 Allister was admitted to UCLA medical center to undergo a long & complicated open heart surgery.
Allister was born with a rare & serious congenital heart defect, named "Ebstein's Anomaly".
When Allister was a baby doctors advised our parents to anticipate raising a sick child. We were told he wouldn't be as tall as his Twin Brother Marc (if anything he is marginally taller). We were told he wouldn't be able to participate in activities with regular kids & his childhood would be extremely compromised, however he was very active, riding his bicycle every day (a thing he still does), playing soccer , and exceeding the activity of almost all of his peers. We were told he'd need life saving surgery as a child, when that didn't happen they said "Mid Teens at the latest" and then that didn't happen either. He has never had the appearance of a sick person and even in to adulthood has lived an active lifestyle, that has often helped publicly mask a serious health complaint, to avoid stressing out friends and fans of EC Twins.
Towards the end of Summer 2018, following an EC Twins performance, Allister went for a bike ride, during which his heart went in to an "Atrial Flutter" (extremely rapid & irregular heart rate) and he had to be rescued from the side of the road. A few days later Allister was diagnosed and booked for an "ablation" treatment at UCLA to rectify the issue. The ablation was successful, however the flutter was merely a symptom of the degenerative nature of his underlying heart condition and Allister was advised to undergo important open heart surgery as soon as possible.
The love of Allister's life is music & making people happy. He considers each EC Twins Supporter to be an extended family member and for that reason he chose not to share the struggle publicly, deciding that an experience with EC Twins (even through the means of social media) should ALWAYS be positive & light hearted & that the fans should be protected from certain harsh realities. He also made the brave and dangerous decision to honor every confirmed booking, refusing to cancel a single show and undergo surgery only when every date was fulfilled, unwilling to disappoint clients or fans. He performed right up until the weekend before the surgery . I can personally assure you, that some of those performances & the travel were extremely physically challenging and scary for him. Your smiling faces & support helped him find the courage.
It may be important to note that Allister lives a super healthy lifestyle. He works out every day. He's vegetarian, never touched a cigarette, a drop of alcohol, nor a single recreational drug. Though we have an arduous touring schedule and work in a high pressure industry (often with little, or no sleep) we wanted to mention that Allister's condition is a birth defect, not the result of his lifestyle. We don't want anyone out there to fear that this may happen to them. This is a very rare congenital heart disease . It is a health issue that even I (his identical twin) does not have.
Apologies to all the friends whom I have not responded to and fans who have reached out with questions about when the next EC Twins performance will be. The Surgeons at UCLA did a remarkable job and by all reports the surgery was successful, but such big procedures can never be expected to go completely smoothly and (with circumstances changing by the second) I didn't want to update anyone until I was remotely clear. The reports are that Allister has made a lot of improvements recently and I feel that I can finally see some light at the end of this tunnel.
As those who know us can confirm, Allister is strong and he will fight this in the same way as he has every other battle. It's going to be tough, but he's spent a lifetime beating the odds & with your support he will beat these too. Your help will play a huge role in his recovery and when you see him back on stage as an EC Twin, with a huge smile on his face, I want you to know that you played an important role in making that happen and we will never forget it.
With Love EC Twins XX
Special thanks to UCLA's doctors and nurses, especially for letting me live here for the past two weeks. Special acknowledgement to all doctors and nurses everywhere and to those of you who have dedicated your lives to a higher purpose. Watching you work and save lives 24 hours a day within the walls of this hospital has been a mind blowing experience. You are simultaneously heroes and angels, each and every one of you!
It's one of the hardest things in the world for me to ask for help and I've thought about it a lot, before making the decision to do so. I walked in here with my brother, I refuse to walk out of here without him and I won't leave his side. Obviously open heart surgery is very expensive in the USA and this has been a long process, requiring several stages of treatment, often by world leading specialists. I want my brother to be able to focus solely on his recovery, without being distracted by medical expenses, the cost of hospital stays, recovery & all the stress & financial burden that occurs when rendered with an inability to work & pay bills. The original plan was for me to continue to work & tour alone, until Allister recovers, but until my brother walks out of this hospital I won't either. This is why I've decided to reach out to our friends and ask for whatever support you may be able to offer. If you have the ability to donate I am not sure how to convey my gratitude, other than to say that it will mean more than words can express. Should you feel so kind, I'd be very grateful if you could share the link to spread the word. With all your support, positivity & love EC Twins will be back, full of energy, with huge smiles on our faces, better than ever. I love you all so much and thank you for all your support!
Read on for full details on Allister's story, condition & recovery.
On 6th February 2019 Allister was admitted to UCLA medical center to undergo a long & complicated open heart surgery.
Allister was born with a rare & serious congenital heart defect, named "Ebstein's Anomaly".
When Allister was a baby doctors advised our parents to anticipate raising a sick child. We were told he wouldn't be as tall as his Twin Brother Marc (if anything he is marginally taller). We were told he wouldn't be able to participate in activities with regular kids & his childhood would be extremely compromised, however he was very active, riding his bicycle every day (a thing he still does), playing soccer , and exceeding the activity of almost all of his peers. We were told he'd need life saving surgery as a child, when that didn't happen they said "Mid Teens at the latest" and then that didn't happen either. He has never had the appearance of a sick person and even in to adulthood has lived an active lifestyle, that has often helped publicly mask a serious health complaint, to avoid stressing out friends and fans of EC Twins.
Towards the end of Summer 2018, following an EC Twins performance, Allister went for a bike ride, during which his heart went in to an "Atrial Flutter" (extremely rapid & irregular heart rate) and he had to be rescued from the side of the road. A few days later Allister was diagnosed and booked for an "ablation" treatment at UCLA to rectify the issue. The ablation was successful, however the flutter was merely a symptom of the degenerative nature of his underlying heart condition and Allister was advised to undergo important open heart surgery as soon as possible.
The love of Allister's life is music & making people happy. He considers each EC Twins Supporter to be an extended family member and for that reason he chose not to share the struggle publicly, deciding that an experience with EC Twins (even through the means of social media) should ALWAYS be positive & light hearted & that the fans should be protected from certain harsh realities. He also made the brave and dangerous decision to honor every confirmed booking, refusing to cancel a single show and undergo surgery only when every date was fulfilled, unwilling to disappoint clients or fans. He performed right up until the weekend before the surgery . I can personally assure you, that some of those performances & the travel were extremely physically challenging and scary for him. Your smiling faces & support helped him find the courage.
It may be important to note that Allister lives a super healthy lifestyle. He works out every day. He's vegetarian, never touched a cigarette, a drop of alcohol, nor a single recreational drug. Though we have an arduous touring schedule and work in a high pressure industry (often with little, or no sleep) we wanted to mention that Allister's condition is a birth defect, not the result of his lifestyle. We don't want anyone out there to fear that this may happen to them. This is a very rare congenital heart disease . It is a health issue that even I (his identical twin) does not have.
Apologies to all the friends whom I have not responded to and fans who have reached out with questions about when the next EC Twins performance will be. The Surgeons at UCLA did a remarkable job and by all reports the surgery was successful, but such big procedures can never be expected to go completely smoothly and (with circumstances changing by the second) I didn't want to update anyone until I was remotely clear. The reports are that Allister has made a lot of improvements recently and I feel that I can finally see some light at the end of this tunnel.
As those who know us can confirm, Allister is strong and he will fight this in the same way as he has every other battle. It's going to be tough, but he's spent a lifetime beating the odds & with your support he will beat these too. Your help will play a huge role in his recovery and when you see him back on stage as an EC Twin, with a huge smile on his face, I want you to know that you played an important role in making that happen and we will never forget it.
With Love EC Twins XX
Special thanks to UCLA's doctors and nurses, especially for letting me live here for the past two weeks. Special acknowledgement to all doctors and nurses everywhere and to those of you who have dedicated your lives to a higher purpose. Watching you work and save lives 24 hours a day within the walls of this hospital has been a mind blowing experience. You are simultaneously heroes and angels, each and every one of you!
Organizer
Marc Blackham
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA
