One Love for Chi
As Deftones fans most likely -and sadly-already know, the band’s longtime bassist Chi Cheng suffered serious brain damage as the result of a 2008 car accident.
Cheng has never recovered; he remains in a semi-conscious state.
As of May, 2010, Cheng began to show signs of significant improvement. He can track people with his eyes and slightly move his hands. But, obviously, he has a long way to go.
This is where the Deftone’s second show at the Crystal Ballroom, slated for Saturday, April 16, comes in. One dollar from every ticket sale of this show will go to the One Love for Chi Foundation, a non-profit set up to pay for Cheng’s incredibly expensive medical bills. The family and friends behind One Love for Chi also hope to pay for Cheng’s care.
From the Deftones:
New doctors, Dr. DeFina, Chief Scientific Officer and founder of International Brain Research Foundation (IBRF) along with Dr. Jonathan Fellus, director of Brain Injury Services at the Kessler Institute, have been brought onboard to aid in Chi Cheng’s recovery. They have an 84% success rate in waking people from coma, vegetative and minimally conscious states. Typically the national average for patients emerging from these states is 3 to 7%. Chi is on the beginning phases of their groundbreaking protocol and has already been showing great progress. He will remain under the direct care of the doctors at IBRF. A new goal of $500,000 has been set in order to cover the cost of staying at the facility for 3-6 months or longer as well as transportation to get Chi to the facility. Chi is slowly making progress with the help of Dr. DeFina’s new protocol and funds raised will make sure he is able to continue to do so.
On June 9, the New Jersey team came out again to run a series of tests and check Chi’s progress. One of the tests done determines his level of consciousness. It is based on a scale from 1-100 and anything over 90 is considered conscious or “awake”. Chi was ranging between 97-98 meaning that his brain is well over the minimum of 90. The next step is to be able to transfer him to a rehab facility for patients with brain injury. Either here or on the east coast, the stay is approximately $2,000. per day and insurance will not cover it.
So Deftones fans, come show your love for Chi -and enjoy some damn fine rock ‘n;’ roll while you’re at it.
