Lady Gaga’s Dog Walker, Ryan Fischer, Set Up A GoFundMe To Finance A Spiritually Healing Road Trip
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Ryan Fischer, Lady Gaga’s dog walker who was shot in the chest by dog-nappers while out walking her three French Bulldogs last February, has hit a bump on his long road to recovery. After Ryan was released from the hospital, he took a 6-month sabbatical and embarked on a road trip across the US in a rented 1991 Ford Falcon with the goal of “strengthening [his] emotional and mental health.” However, two months into his trip his van broke down and Ryan has launched a GoFundMe campaign with a $40,000 goal to help finance the rest of his trip. Ryan doesn’t mention Gaga at all in his GoFundMe pitch, but he did report feeling “abandoned and unsupported” at the onset of his trip which means The Gucci Family aren’t the only ones making rude hand gestures in Gaga’s general direction.
Ryan says on Instagram that he gave up his apartment and his car in LA and hit the open road, but it seems that PTSD and depression sneaked on as stowaways. Here’s what Ryan had to say about his journey on his GFM page.
A few days ago, I said goodbye to Trudy, a quasi-reliable 1991 Ford Falcon rental that drove like a boat in high wind. With just me, Trudy, 3 stuffed animals that resemble dogs I care for very much, and WAY too many personal items, across the US we teetered along for two months. At times I was scared. I was lonely. I felt abandoned and unsupported. I had long bouts of depression and doubt and self-pity. But those backroads that took me to desert campsites and Walmart parking lots and rest stops and friends and family to New York and back began to help me see why I had chosen to leave the security of the Hollywood Hills where I fought for my life and mobility…
So here I am, two months down on a 6 month journey. And, on this Feast of Saint Rocque, I have a clear purpose but am at an obvious impasse. With no vehicle, apartment, and having run out of savings and surviving on donations from generous loved ones, I am humbly asking for your help. This is not an easy thing to ask, but I have started to realize sharing your vulnerability with others is exactly when radical change begins to occur for everyone involved.
Ryan says donations will go toward “van purchase” and “travel expenses” and he’s also looking for recommendations for “retreats for trauma throughout the country as well as queer spiritual leaders and healers.” Now, Ryan may be a Blanche DuBois type who prefers his kindness come from strangers, but personally, I’d rather take a no-limit American Express Black card and a brand new tricked-out van from the famous very rich lady I know. Here’s Ryan explaining his experiences since the shooting which led him to take this journey.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRW_9bShPZS/
And he even featured one of those terrible songs in his GFM video!
Entertainment Weekly reports that Gaga has “reportedly covered his medical costs approaching $100,000,” but wouldn’t it be cool if Ryan was woken up one morning by Xzibit shouting at him “dog, I heard you love dogs so we pimped out this Ram ProMaster to look like the inside of an Italian deli!”? Sure Ryan would be confused by sausages hanging from the rearview mirror, the guy in the back wearing a dirty apron shouting “Lady Gaga thanks you, Ryan!” in a broad “Italian” accent and why the radio only plays Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett’s new single I Get A Kick Out of You on repeat, but he’s not paying for it now is he?
Pic: Instagram