Detroit DJ and producer Whodat (real name Terri McQueen) has endured ongoing health setbacks that have added a palpable tension to her music. To help her deal with her latest hurdles, Omar Meftah and Thomas Shui have tasked themselves with crowdfunding her expenses.
The GoFundMe description omits the specific details of McQueen’s most recent operation, but it notes that she’s undergone tumor removals and blood transfusions. “As you can imagine, the process of recovery is extremely costly, not just monetarily, but psychologically and emotionally as well,” reads a passage. “In Terri’s position, it is almost impossible to do all of that on her own, hence why Terri’s mother has been so integral to her healing. She has been (and still is) doing everything she possibly can to support Terri to the best of her ability, and has been carrying that weight since the beginning.”
Meftah and Shui initially set the fundraiser goal for $10,000. They raised it to $20,000 due to “overwhelming support” and haven’t ruled out doing so again.
A tumor was first discovered in McQueen’s stomach in 2010 when she did not have health insurance. She channeled her experiences “being caught up the abyss of the American healthcare system” for eight months into an album called Medical Leave Beat Tape that released on Algae Tapes in February 2013. The decidedly Detroit-sounding effort captured the uncertainty of McQueen’s troubles through experimental, avant-garde concept works.
At the time of writing, Whodat’s fundraiser has amassed nearly $16,000. Donations can be made via GoFundMe or to McQueen’s personal PayPal account.
