Help Russ Russell recover from oesophageal cancer

Our brother Russ is in need of your help

If you don't know Russ, he's a legendary record producer who's worked with Napalm Death, Dimmu Borgir, At The Gates and hundreds more bands. He's committed his life to music and helping others to get the best from theirs.

What he's been through

In March Russ was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma (cancer of the food pipe). He dealt with the first four sessions of chemotherapy like a champ and did everything humanly possible to get himself fit and ready for surgery to remove the tumour. Russ went through major surgery (oesophagogastrectomy) for nine hours and was in Intensive Care for over a week.

His recovery at home has been slow and painful because the organs, muscles and nerves take time to settle into position and knit back together. Simple things that we all take for granted have become massive tasks for him – he's having to learn to eat again. He's also just had to endure another four brutal rounds of chemotherapy to make sure the cancer is completely gone. He's totally exhausted and understandably feeling a bit vulnerable.

Russ faced this whole ordeal with the same positivity, curiosity and openness that he brings to everything he does and he's determined to take something positive from a really dark period of his life. He's been an inspiration, and we are so grateful that the cancer is now in remission.

What's happened

The incredible NHS worked their magic for free but Russ hasn’t been able to work for nearly a year. Trying to run a home and studio while paying for additional treatments and daily hospital visits on just Russ’s wife’s income has inevitably led to them running out of savings and accumulating debt. This together with their home being severely damaged in the summer storms (and the extra borrowing needed to cover the repairs) has meant that the increasing debt is now starting to interfere with Russ’s recovery.

What we’d like

We're asking for your help to halt this situation and gift Russ the time to recover physically and mentally. If you know Russ personally, you already know his generous and warm spirit – but you might not know that he would never want to ask for your help. This is why we felt the need to ask for him. Although he's filled with gratitude that he gets a second shot at life and is being as positive as possible, he also feels like he's letting people down by not being back at work already.

It would be amazing if we could give Russ the time to recover in the peace and calm he needs without worrying about losing his home and studio in the process. We know it's a really shit time to be asking for money but if you are able to give anything at all, it would make a massive difference. Thanks and love to all of you who have supported Russ and his family in so many ways this past year – hundreds of you have sent your love already and you are all legends.

We know that you have their eternal gratitude x