Aaron Worker won’t be able to attend the concert being held in his honour at Bridport this Sunday.
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He’s in an intensive care unit in Melbourne, and won’t be able to return to his home of Scottsdale for at least three months.
At only 26 years old, Aaron is waiting for a heart transplant. After suffering from leukemia when he was younger, he is now struggling with a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy, which means that his heart’s ability to pump blood properly is weakened.
He was put on the list for a transplant about three months ago, and for now, all he and his family can do is wait.
Aaron’s father, Paul Worker, has implored the community to sign up for organ donation.
“Go ahead and do it,” he said. “You never know when one of your family members is going to need something like that.
“We’re all donors, on the donor list. Nobody knows how well their body will take somebody else’s heart, and Aaron will be taking rejection drugs for the rest of his life, but it’ll give him a longer life span.”
The importance of organ donation is the message behind an awareness-raising concert at Bridport on Sunday.
The first-year anniversary of regular monthly concert Music by the Bay has been dedicated to Aaron, with money raised going to the family, and a message about organ donation shared with patrons.
Eliot McCann, who plays with Aaron in band Raccoon Dog, said it was fitting that if any event was held for Aaron, it was one revolving around music. As well as being a keen drummer and singer, he regularly volunteered to run sound for local events, including the Bridport Christmas Carols.
“He’s a stalwart of the music scene in the North-East, when he can he’s always performing, and even if he’s not playing he’ll turn up and run the sound,” Elliott said. “I think he’s gravitated towards music as something that’s a healing thing for him.”
Music by the Bay for Aaron Worker will be held Sunday, September 2 at the Bridport Hotel from 1pm to 5pm, and will include a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses. There will then be a follow-up event at Bridport Hotel on Saturday, September 15.