Gloucester resident Scott MacDonald, aka DJ Scottie Mac, who was badly injured in a scooter accident in Jamaica earlier this month has been flown back to Boston and is being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital.
“He’s here. He’s at Mass. General Hospital,” said Joey Ciaramitaro, creator of the Good Morning Gloucester blog, on Sunday, Jan. 22.
On Monday, Jan. 23, he told the Times his friend had an operation to clear fluid from a punctured lung that was not healing.
“The doc said he did very well with the lung procedure,” Ciaramitaro said in a text update. “I do believe he’s going to be OK,” he said, adding, “thank God he is in Boston.”
Ciaramitaro said he spoke with MacDonald via FaceTime on Monday morning.
“He’s got a road ahead of him,” Ciaramitaro said of his friend’s recovery.
MacDonald was flown to the United States via an air ambulance from a hospital in Montego Bay on Sunday, Jan. 15. On Sunday afternoon, Jan. 22, MacDonald was flown to Hanscom Field in Bedford.
“He was in really rough shape,” Ciaramitaro said during Sunday morning’s podcast. “He had what they thought was pneumonia or whatever but they gave him heavy-duty antibiotics and they say he is able to fly home.”
“That’s amazing, that is amazing,” Ciaramitaro’s wife Katelyn said. They spoke about posting the flight number so listeners could track the flight online.
The outpouring for MacDonald, a popular local DJ, has been tremendous.
A fundraiser at Cape Ann Lanes on Jan. 15 raised approximately $32,000, and more than $16,000 was raised at a fundraiser at the Beauport Hotel on Thursday, Jan. 19, Ciaramitaro said during Sunday’s podcast.
A Venmo account and link posted by the nonprofit Better Together for Cape Ann Inc. has raised more than $55,000. Warren Waugh, the managing partner of Lyon-Waugh Auto Group, his wife Karen Hanson, and the auto group, have also donated to the cause.
Donations are being collected through an account set up at Cape Ann Savings Bank.
Ed Wall, treasurer of Better Together for Cape Ann, said they have raised $56,000, and $55,000 of that has been transferred into the Cape Ann Savings Bank account. Wall, the husband of Patty Wall, who started the group, said the plan is to keep the Venmo up for MacDonald through the end of the month.
Wall said his wife created the Better Together for Cape Ann group during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people who found themselves in dire straits not knowing where to turn.
“The organization was designed to be a bridge and to get involved in these unusual circumstances,” Ed Wall said. “The community has been incredible.” Wall said MacDonald has made his last stop before coming home to Gloucester.
The Ciaramitaros also announced Sunday that a bingo fundraiser at the Amvets post on Prospect Street on Friday raised $1,650 for MacDonald, not including sales of Scottie Strong hooded sweatshirts.
Sara Gray of Gloucester said on Facebook Messenger the sweatshirts are still available. People can contact Gray directly on Facebook or by emailing her at sjanegray@hotmail.com. Residents can also call Amvets Post 32 directly at 978-283-9738 to order one. The cost is $40 and proceeds benefit MacDonald’s recovery.
Gloucester native Phyllis Cunningham, who has an apparel business called Made with Luve, came up with the design and is producing the sweatshirts. She said Gray had the idea to sell sweatshirts to raise money for MacDonald and contacted Cunningham.
“The response to the sweatshirts has been wonderful,” Gray said in a message on Facebook. The first two production runs have sold out, she said. “We are taking orders for any future runs which will likely be planned weekly.” The shirts are being offered in gray and black.
“We are pulling for him now,” she said. “Thankful he is back in Massachusetts.”
Ethan Forman may be contacted at 978-675-2714,or at eforman@northofboston.com.
