New York rocker Jesse Malin — a veteran of bands like D Generation and Heart Attack, as well as his long solo career — has been paralyzed from the waist down after suffering a spinal stroke. Rolling Stone reports that Malin was out with friends in the East Village in last month, commemorating the one-year anniversary of his former D Generation bamdate Howie Pyro’s death, when he collapsed. He’d suffered from a spinal-cord infarction, a rare ailment, and he hasn’t been able to walk since.

Talking to Rolling Stone from his rehab-center bed, Jesse Malin says, “This is the hardest six weeks that I’ve ever had. I’m told that they don’t really understand it, and they’re not sure of the chances. The reports from the doctors have been tough, and there’s moments in the day where you want to cry and where you’re scared. But I keep saying to myself that I can make this happen. I can recover my body.”

After spinal surgery, Malin is undergoing physical therapy, trying to regain the use of his legs. When Malin is discharged, he’ll have to use a wheelchair, which means he’ll have to leave his walk-up apartment and move into one with an elevator. Friends have set up a fundraiser for Malin, and you can donate here.