Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Launch Crowdfunding Effort For Drummer's Medical Fees

Rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are appealing to fans to donate money to help drummer Leah Shapiro cover the costs of her recent brain surgery.

The group cancelled a string of gigs earlier this month (Oct14) to allow Shapiro to undergo the operation after she was diagnosed with Chiari malformations, a condition which can put pressure on the brain and cause symptoms including headaches and depression.

She is now recovering from the surgery, and on Thursday (23Oct14), her bandmates launched a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe.com to contribute to her mounting medical fees.

A message on the page reads: "Leah has a serious medical condition requiring brain surgery and months of recovery. Many of you have asked what you can do to help support her and help her get through this, and I think we should all put a dollar in the motorcycle helmet and pass it around... All donations will go towards Leah's surgery and recovery."

The Pass the Helmet for Leah fundraising effort had raised more than $15,000 (£9,375) of its $33,300 (£20,813) target as Wenn went to press.

Shapiro joined the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in 2008, when she replaced founding member Nick Jago.