Music community rallies round as Crowdfunder launched for care of Optimo DJ diagnosed with brain tumour
A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to help JD Twitch, one half of Glasgow DJ duo Optimo (Espacio), raise money for urgent care and therapies following his diagnosis with a terminal brain tumour - it has raised more than £50,000 since it began yesterday.
Keith McIvor, also known as JD Twitch, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour after being admitted to hospital earlier this month. Alongside DJ partner JG Wilkes he has been a impactful and vibrant part of the Glasgow music scene since the late 1990s and a pioneer of the local electronic music.
He said: “Over the past few weeks I have received lots of enquiries about my health having missed several gigs since being admitted to the hospital. Following extensive tests I’ve been diagnosed with a brain tumour and I have been told my condition is untreatable. As you can imagine, I am currently trying to process this news and prioritising spending precious time with the people I love.
A few days later his family made a call for help in finding accessible housing in the Glasgow area offering nursing or palliative care, asking for assistance in locating somewhere “peaceful, private, and dignified”.
Now a Crowdfunder page has been set up under the name Love2JDTwitch which has been confirmed by Optimo on Instagram. The page says “Keith now requires 24-hour nursing care. His condition has affected his speech, his mobility and his independence. While he’s managed to take a few supported steps, he’s extremely vulnerable and needs constant assistance to do so safely. Referral by the NHS to a hospice in Glasgow would make everything much simpler. However, his symptoms are not currently advanced or severe enough to justify a successful referral, nor is it easy to predict when this might be the case.”
The page explains that Keith has now been housed in a private residential nursing facility that “gives him a safe, supportive environment while we continue to explore the best long-term setting for his care.”
Keith’s family and friends say: “We’re still seeking further advice and carefully considering whether staying in the nursing home or finding accessible accommodation with a full care package works best for Keith. While we’re keeping all options open, setting up temporary private accommodation with the necessary adaptations and care support has proven extremely difficult, time-consuming, and stressful to coordinate.
“With time being limited and having already faced major obstacles navigating NHS and social care routes — including rejected hospice referrals and a social work case mistakenly closed — we made the decision to move Keith into a private residential nursing facility for now. This gives him a safe, supportive environment while we continue to explore the best long-term setting for his care.
“For now, respite care provides Keith with the best route to stay within the NHS and care referral system while accessing better living conditions while it matters most to him. This decision has been made with the full support of Keith’s GP, who agrees this is the most appropriate setting for him at this time.
“While Keith's condition is extremely serious and likely to progress quickly, he's not currently in pain, can communicate well with patience, and is still present as the Keith we know and love. He can now connect to those most important to him in a better environment – with a determined group of friends and family around him, ready to do whatever we can to help him with what he wants and needs.”
Glasgow’s music community has supported the campaign, which has already raised £53,000 to support Keith’s care.