Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, with his wife Catherine Holmes launching a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the growing cost of his medical care.
According to the fundraiser, Holmes is currently receiving radiotherapy in France but has been left with significant out-of-pocket expenses due to complications involving his health insurance coverage. The couple says they have already accumulated €20,000 in medical debt, with additional costs expected as treatment continues.
In the campaign description, Catherine explained:
We never imagined we would have to write something like this again. In 2022, just after two years of Covid lockdown, Chris faced throat cancer. A GoFundMe carried us through an impossible moment. We were deeply grateful, and we hoped we would never have to ask again.
Today life has placed us in another hard situation, and we want to speak about it honestly.
Chris has begun radiotherapy in France for prostate cancer. The treatment is essential and cannot be interrupted.
Because of an administrative error linked to our marriage registration, the health insurance system placed Chris under “emergency only” coverage. He had to wait three months before receiving any care at all, and only the radiotherapy given during the month of July is covered.
Everything else falls to us:
- Hormone therapy (standard and new generation)
- Scans and PET scans
- Biopsy and blood tests
- Daily travel to and from the hospital
This has already left us with €20,000 in medical debt, and the treatment ahead will keep adding to it every month.
Chris must remain in France to receive radiotherapy. Leaving the country would risk his emergency status lapsing, so he cannot travel and therefore cannot work.
Chris has given everything to his music and to the people who listen to it. It is his whole life. Today we cannot carry this alone.
We are grateful to France for granting the emergency coverage that allowed Chris to begin radiotherapy. Now we ask, humbly, for help covering everything else.
If you are able to give, even a small amount, it goes directly to the medication, medical exams, and transport Chris needs to finish his treatment safely. And if you cannot give, your messages, your love, and your presence mean just as much.
With gratitude and our love,
Chris and Catherine
Best known for his work with W.A.S.P., Holmes played a key role in shaping the band’s sound during its breakthrough years in the 1980s. He performed on landmark albums including W.A.S.P., The Last Command, Inside The Electric Circus, and The Headless Children, earning a reputation as one of the era’s most recognizable heavy metal guitarists.
Fans who wish to support Holmes can contribute through the GoFundMe campaign, with all proceeds intended to help cover his ongoing treatment, medical examinations, medication, and transportation costs as he continues his fight against cancer.
