An update on Juan Alderete, who is known for his bass work in acts like Marilyn Manson, The Mars Volta and Racer X. Last month, Juan suffered a serious brain injury, Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI), after getting into an accident while riding his bike.
Juan's injury has medical bills piling up up to $250,000, and his family is asking for help. Marilyn Manson posted something on Instagram to help raise awareness:
You can donate here. An update on the surgery was posted by his wife to the GoFundMe:
Juan Alderete – beloved husband, son, brother, uncle, friend, bandmate and cat dad – has had the privilege of connecting with music lovers around the world through his remarkable talent as the bassist in Marilyn Manson, The Mars Volta, Big Sir, Deltron 3030, Dr. Octagon, Vato Negro, Halo Orbit and Racer X in addition to lending his bass lines to music by Lil Peep, Jonwayne, Juliette Lewis, B'z and many more. On January 13, 2020, Juan was involved in a bicycle accident that—despite wearing a helmet and protective gear—left him with a serious type of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) known as Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI). He also suffered a fractured clavicle and spinal fracture.
And as many of you fellow musicians and artists understand, there is no paid time off or sick time for this type of work. The journey Juan and his family are about to embark on is a marathon, not a sprint; it is a long road and we want to be able to tap some of the best and most passionate medical professionals who are experts on TBI patients and their potential for recovery. Physical, occupational and cognitive therapies are just some of what we'll need to pay for in the coming weeks and months. In-patient care and therapy, special medical equipment and assistance are other expenses we anticipate in the longer term. And while we help Juan focus on recovering, he will not be able to work but of course the goal is to get him back to playing music, and talking pedals on Pedals and Effects with his partner in crime, Nick. Because the world needs Juan on bass just as much as Juan needs to play bass.
More about Diffuse Axonal Injury
Neurologists have a saying, "Once you've seen one DAI patient, you've seen one DAI patient," which means there aren't any two cases that are alike and the outcomes vary to the point where doctors are hesitant to offer an exact prognosis. Which means we're ready to take on the challenge and offer Juan every opportunity for him and his brain to heal. And we need your help.While the outcome is uncertain, Juan's family, friends and fellow musicians all agree that we must spend the better part of the next year offering him every single opportunity and resource we can so he can beat this and come back stronger than ever. We have to advocate for him and be proactive with his care and treatments because – if you've ever had a prolonged experience in the healthcare system in the U.S. – you've experienced the lack of initiative that is so prevalent. If we want Juan to have the best chance at recovery, we have to draft that plan and get the resources ourselves.
We hope you'll be part of his road to recovery – any small donation helps, and we will post regular updates here and on his social channels so you're able to follow his progress.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
