Onry Ozzborn

Not sure if you follow Onry Ozzborn on the socials. I do.

A few months ago his daughter (who looks eerily identical to my own daughter), was diagnosed with a cancer. As Onry demonstrates the traits of a perpetually youthful bloke like myself, albeit way cooler, I was immediately punched in the throat over the news. I've felt the pangs of guilt and fear and dread and "where did I screw this up?" that comes along with any sort of diagnosis or health scare for one of my kids, but this one for Onry was unique in that he's not necessarily known for sharing. 

Not that that's a bad thing, he's just more of a blatant social recluse than most people who rap for a living, and if I'm being honest, it's one of the reasons I look up to him so fucking hard. He's him, no apologies.

BUT.

And this is a big but.

Here's where I sort of gained more respect for one dude than I ever thought possible. 

Onry Ozzborn knew what lay ahead when someone in a faded turquoise pair of surgical scrubs, inside a sterile linoleum floored office, under flickering fluorescent bulbs, starts a conversation with "let's talk about how we're going to pay for treatment". STOMACH. DROP. LUNGS. EMPTY. *FUCK*

In Onry's case, he turned to his fans, like me, who have purchased every album over the last decade or longer, and humbly said "I don't want to do any of this, but I'd rather suffer scorn and ridicule at the hands of the faceless internet trolls than imagine life without my daughter by my side." Most didn't give it a second thought. What's $10, $15, $100 when a dude I respect, look up to, and rely on to make the music that makes my life bearable needs a leg up? I didn't buy beer or excess sausage (or pay my student loans on time) for a pay period and a half so my dude Onry could attempt to afford to keep his daughter on this planet by trusting a medical machine that doesn't always do what it says it's going to.

The debate about the disgustingly crippling costs of healthcare aside...

"My training wheels broke at a young age..."

"Training Wheels" feels like an ode to being your only advocate. At some point, be it early on as a kid or later in life as an older kid, you'll realize you are your only hope.

Unless you're V, and you had your pops knock the medical establishment aside and gofundme the fuck out of your successful attempt at survival.

Props to the entire Ozzborn family for being faced with the impossible and shoulder checking every obstacle, be it medical or financial, and realizing that you're not only as strong as your adrenaline in the face of fight or flight, you're only as strong as your community. And we're strong as fuck. Proud to know ya. 

Keep fighting.