A Baltimore drummer is proving they can take a hit both on and off the stage, surviving a freak accident with a broken back, a busted foot, and a 10-inch head gash to top it off.
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Heath “Spicy Hellcat” Gorenflo, who is also a fixture at Baltimore’s Dutch Courage bar, was seriously injured on June 28 in what partner Amie Ward described on GoFundMe as the most “gnarly accident” imaginable.
After the accident, Gorenflo suffered a broken back, two fractures in his right foot, and a 10-inch gash across their head that required staples. Despite these severe injuries, their sense of humor remains unshaken, bolstered by unwavering support from Baltimore’s vibrant punk and service industry communities.
“Heath does not have health insurance and will be out of work for the foreseeable future,” the GoFundMe for the drummer explains. “We are raising funds to support Heath’s ongoing medical care, loss of work, and to ensure they can properly rehabilitate before returning to bartending (at Dutch Courage).”
Gorenflo’s recovery is slow, but every step on the road to recovery is being savored by fans and friends. On the GoFundMe page, he reassures everyone that the iconic mohawk will return, and once healed, he’ll still be able to rock the drum kit using the double bass pedal with his left foot.
“Heath wants to assure everyone… their spirits are high and ability to crack jokes hasn’t waned in the least,” his GoFundMe insists.
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According to the fundraiser, Ward, the organizer of the event, has shared a home with Gorenflo in Baltimore for the past two and a half years.
Ward calls herself a “boss bitch” determined to “take care of my people,” and joked that Gorenflo is “of sound mind, not being held captive,” fully backing the campaign.
“Heath is an anticapitalist anarchist absurdist angel who does not like money but understands the necessity of this measure at this time after seeing the horrifying ER videos they demanded we take,” Ward quipped on the GoFundMe.
However, in an update, Ward got a bit more serious.
“We still have a long and patient road of healing ahead, but Heath remains in super positive spirits!” she wrote. “We are both so incredibly grateful for everyone’s support, and none of this would be possible without our community. From the food care packages, to the sweet messages/check-ins, to the GoFundMe contributions, y’all are making this life-altering situation much easier to handle.”
She also noted he was approved for Medicare on July 24.
As of this writing, the drummer’s GoFundMe has raised just over $22,000 of a $25,000 goal.