“Urgent” fundraiser created for budots pioneer DJ Love ahead of heart surgery
The Filipino DJ and producer has been hospitalised for three weeks
An “urgent” fundraiser has been launched for Filipino DJ, producer, and budots pioneer DJ Love after he was admitted to hospital last month.
DJ Love – real name Sherwin Tuna – was admitted to a public hospital in Davao three weeks ago, where he’s currently undergoing tests and consultations with five different doctors.
“Yet still, no clear diagnosis or real progress has been made,” reads a fundraiser launched by DJ Love’s manager, Jorge Wieneke V. “Despite all the tests and evaluations, we remain without answers.”
He notes that DJ Love’s condition remains uncertain, and that he needs “urgent and specialised medical attention”, including heart surgery and post-op treatment. A new post from DJ Love explains that he "needs this to survive".
A crowdfunder has been launched to help support his medical care, hoping to raise ₱1.2 million (£16,500). This would allow DJ Love to be moved to a “better facility where he can receive immediate and prioritised medical care”.
Money raised will also go towards his surgery, hospital expenses, medications, and post-treatment recovery, his manager explains, “ensuring he gets the best possible treatment so he can get back on his feet, both for himself and his family.”
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Rewards for donations include a budots producer pack featuring drums, samples, loops, and more selected by DJ Love and producer obese.dogma777, or a pack of “rare DJ Love budots nonstop mixes”.
DJ Love, selected as one of Mixmag’s DJs Who Defined The Year in 2024, is one of the Philippines’ most loved producers, helping to pioneer the sound of budots in the 2000s.
Read this next: DJ Love's debut album celebrates Filipino culture & the evolution of Budots
“Beyond the decks, Sherwin is also an artist and choreographer with a passion for community and inclusivity,” the fundraiser reads. “Now, as he faces one of the biggest challenges of his life, it’s our turn to rally behind him.”
Berlin’s CTM Festival also issued an “urgent” call to support DJ Love through medical issues earlier today, writing on Instagram: “Any support, whether through donations or sharing this message, will help ensure he gets the care he urgently needs.”
Donate to the fundraiser here.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter
