Last week, founding Saliva guitarist Wayne Swinny passed away from a sudden brain hemorrhage at 59 years old. The loss sent his bandmates and fans reeling, but in the days ahead attention has shifted over to Swinny’s family. To that end, Saliva vocalist Bobby Amaru has launched fundraising campaign over on GoFundMe to help raise $100,000 for Swinny’s family to cover costs and to create a trust for his 11 year-old daughter Nikki.
So far, the page has generated more than $51,000 from nearly 230 donations. One donation from an anonymous source totaled $25,000, which is wild. On the GoFundMe page, a statement outlines why the money’s needed.
“The Saliva family is mourning the tragic loss of our brother Wayne Swinny. Wayne left us suddenly from a spontaneous brain hemorrhage on March 22, 2023. Wayne fought hard, but ultimately lost his battle. The one bright light is the fact that Wayne was an organ donor and was able to donate his liver and kidneys which saved 2 lives.
“Wayne leaves behind the love of his life; his beautiful 11-year-old daughter Nikki. Also, his sister Linda, his very tightly bonded Saliva family, countless friends, legions of musicians whom he inspired past and present, and millions of fans across the world.
“The pain and loss his loved ones are experiencing is incomprehensible. We are setting up a donation link to help cover Wayne’s expenses and to create a trust for his daughter Nikki. Wayne will miss Nikki’s graduations, dances, extracurricular events, marriage, children…milestones, highlights and those times she would have needed her father’s guidance and strength by her side. We hope to be able to provide her with some support as she begins her journey in life without him. Any donation is greatly appreciated.
“The Saliva family is overwhelmed by the amount of love we have received. Thank you all for the posts, calls, e-mails, texts, and prayers. They are greatly appreciated and helping everyone cope during this very trying time.
“Wayne was my best friend and bandmate for nearly 12 years. His sister Linda and I discussed creating a gofundme so that a trust could be created for his daughter Nikki.”
The sudden loss of anyone in your life can be a super tragic event. If you have any ability to pitch in and help a family in need, be sure to check out their GoFundMe page and contribute. Every little bit helps.