Chiptune musician Laurent Crouzet has started a GoFundMe page to help Final Fight MD and Driftin' Rage developer, Mauro Xavier / MXRetroDev.
Crouzet says he was inspired to create the page (with Xavier's permission) after the pair worked together and it became clear that the Brazilian homebrew developer was facing serious challenges, both personal and financial.
"I am working with an amazing man, Mauro Xavier from Brazil, on multiple projects," explains Crouzet. "He is always kind, listening to everything about his work and what we can do to help. The fact is, when working truly with someone, we often share [things] about [our] personal life. And then, I discovered a passionate man, but [one] with a heavy burden and lack of luck. First he [has] health issues, but also children issues. When he talked about his wrecked car, this was too much; I wanted to do something for him."
Crouzet goes on to explain that the 47-year-old Xavier is "bipolar type 1, but in a stable condition, having been medicated for over 15 years with mood stabilisers and antidepressants." He adds that in 2024, Xavier had to have a pacemaker fitted due to a disease that causes premature ageing of the heart.
Furthermore, both Xavier and his 16-year-old son have mild autism, while his eldest son has Asperger's syndrome. Meanwhile, his youngest son has Oppositional Defiant Disorder. All four of them "undergo psychiatric and psychological treatments, taking medication that costs a considerable amount of money each month."
In addition to working on retro games, Xavier has a full-time job. He raises a little extra money via his Patreon account – but, as outlined by Crouzet, a recent car accident has meant that Xavier's already meagre finances have been hit.
The GoFundMe is looking for a very modest 800 Euros, of which over 500 has been pledged already. If you can afford to spare a little cash, you can head over here to support Xavier – you might also want to consider signing up to his aforementioned Patreon, too.