Eurythmics star Dave Stewart has donated £50,000 to help a young musician who needs treatment for a rare brain tumour.
Former Eurythmics star Dave Stewart
The 'Sweet Dreams' hitmaker generously made the donation to Sunderland singer/songwriter Faye Fantarrow - who he has been mentoring after signing her to his Bay Street Records label - who is attempting to raise £450,000 via JustGiving so she can participate in a potentially life-saving clinical trial in California.
Faye, 20, was diagnosed with the aggressive tumour in September 2022 after having leukaemia twice as a child. Doctors believe the rare tumour could have been caused by the radiotherapy she received when she had a bone marrow transplant after fighting leukaemia for the second time aged just 13. The only treatment available is a clinical trial in California and costs about £450,000.
Dave's former Eurythmics bandmate Annie Lennox has also pledged £10,000 to her cause.
So far, as of Wednesday (23.11.22), Faye has raised over a quarter of the money needed with £120,477 made in donations.
Dave, 70, said of his protégé: " I love you and your amazing creativity Faye, you are one of the great songwriter/artists of our time and we need you."
A benefit show for Faye is being held in her hometown of Sunderland this Saturday (26.11.22), with performances coming from local artists including Tom A Smith, The Lake Poets, Eve Cole and Lottie Willis.
Faye has admitted that without the financial and emotional support of Stewart the possibility of travelling to the US for the potentially life-saving treatment "would never have been an option".
Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, she revealed: "He said he would put money towards it and help fundraise, so we could tell my consultant there would be funding straight away.
"My consultant got in touch with Dr Wang in California who said the treatment was an option and was positive about the outcome.”
Go to Justgiving.com/crowdfunding/abigail-thompson-2 to support the #FightForFaye fundraising campaign.
Head to Eventbrite.co.uk or Twitter account @we_make_culture for tickets and information on the benefit concert.
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