'Mighty Ducks' Star Shaun Weiss' Fans Raise $12K for Rehab Fund

On Jan. 30, 2020, a man named Drew Gallagher created a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for his friend, Mighty Ducks star Shaun Weiss. Nearly seven months later, Weiss is 170 days sober while fans have continued to show support. The campaign has raised more than $12,000 to help pay for stints at rehab facilities and new teeth.

Gallagher originally created the GoFundMe campaign to raise $25,000 for various needs. He explained that Weiss struggled after losing his parents and turned to drugs. This situation led to him living on the street and facing abuse. Gallagher said that he purchased multiple vans for Weiss to live in, one of which was "burnt to the ground" by meth addicts. The GoFundMe campaign was Gallagher's way to raise money for Weiss' rent at the sober living facility, as well as some much-needed dental work.

"For the last 3 years I've been doing all I can to help Shaun. His loss of his parents sent him into a depression and so he turned to drugs," Gallagher wrote in the description. "Before long Shaun was sleeping on my couch and eventually the streets where he is beaten up and has his belongings stolen almost nightly. I've been fighting to get him through detox, then rehab and a sober living facility but it is extremely expensive and usually there are long gaps in availability between each segment. ... The system is as broken as Shauns mental state."

Gallagher has continued to provide updates about Weiss' condition throughout the GoFundMe campaign. He covered the court hearings and the judges' rulings, and he gave a breakdown of how he used the first $8,000 to support Weiss. This process continued after Weiss left jail and headed to the first rehab facility, Quest 2 Recovery.

The biggest update came at the end of June. Gallagher posted a photo showing him and Weiss together at lunch. He said that this was Weiss' first lunch out of the sober-living facility and that he is adjusting to a new chapter that is "a bit scary." The photo showed that Weiss looked far healthier than he had in any of the previous months.

While Gallagher's campaign hasn't reached the $25,000 goal, it is nearly at the halfway point. He expressed hope that fans and supporters will help him reach the necessary amount of money to pay for Weiss' rent at the facility. Although the most pressing need at the moment is dental work.