On April 10, Darker Days and several other bands gathered on the Gators stage for a common cause: to raise money for a friend in one of several benefit concerts to raise funds for Seth Waid who, in the summer of 2009, was involved in a vehicle accident that killed his friend, Robstown native Cristobal Isaac. Waid remains in critical condition.
The car that hit Waid, Isaac and another friend was driven by Clayton Robert Johnson, an 18-year-old who was legally intoxicated and going 100 mph.
Johnson was taken to jail where he spent what should have been his high school graduation.
Waid was taken to Christus Spohn Memorial, where his mother, Toni, was told her son was suffering brain damage and had a one percent chance of survival.
Meanwhile, Isaac’s family was forced to begin their grieving process. The summer went by with Isaac’s death in the media limelight while Waid’s condition seemed to slip under the radar.
“People heard the story and thought it was a terrible event, but they forgot it’s still going on,” said Adam Conde, Waid’s friend and member of Darker Days.
Conde and other friends of Waid’s first put on a benefit concert to help Waid’s family fund his surgeries last summer.
Before the accident, Isaac had been involved in several bands that traveled around the state to perform and compete in battle of the bands type of competitions. He had befriended other band members from various cities.
When those band members heard about Isaac’s death and Waid’s hospitalization, they volunteered to travel to Corpus to perform in benefit shows.
“A lot of the bands were either friends with Isaac and Seth or are straight-edge bands that promote a drug- and alcohol-free life,” Conde said. “At the first show, we raised about $1500.”
About 75 people attended the April 10 show and Waid’s friends raised about $1000 that will go to Waid’s family to allow them to stay with him when he travels from hospital to hospital and to help pay medical bills, which, according to Toni, total well over a $1 million.
“I could not have stayed with my son if his friends had not put on these shows for us,” Toni said. “His friends know I won’t leave Seth. I would have been sleeping in the car.”
Although Medicaid helps pay for Waid’s medication, the insurance does not come close to covering the medical costs that have accumulated.
From Christus Spohn Memorial, Waid was then hospitalized in Victoria and from there, moved to a nursing home where his parents and girlfriend took turns staying with him throughout the days and nights.
After some time in the nursing home, he was sent to Texas Neuro for brain habilitation, to St. David’s for brain surgery procedures and then back to Texas Neuro.
Throughout his moves, Waid contracted pneumonia four times. In April, he was living at home with his parents and little sister when he came down with pneumonia for the fifth time.
On April 14, he spent his 23rd birthday in the hospital where the only words he has communicated were “hurt,” “John” and “Cris.”
“He doesn’t know Cris didn’t survive yet,” Toni said. “I’m afraid if he knows he will give up his fight. These boys [John, Seth and Cris] are so extremely close. I have never seen friendship like theirs.”
In addition to pneumonia, Seth now suffers from various infections, fluctuating high and low blood pressure and malnutrition. The doctors told Toni that her son has a 25 percent chance of survival.
“I’ll take it. He had a one percent chance last summer and he’s come so far, so I’ll take the 25 precent,” Toni said.
The doctors also said Waid will never recover 100 percent and he may never recover enough to take care of himself.
“I just don’t believe that,” Toni said. “It’s up to God. He can do anything. I would love for my son to be a walking testament of God’s miracles.”
Waid was a DMC digital media major and Toni said he loved going to Del Mar and looked forward to going to class. In addition, he worked full time at Party City and played the bass with his friends.
“But Seth was a skateboarder,” Toni said laughing. “In middle school, Seth and his friends created a skate crew – Skate or Die. They all have that title tattooed on various parts of their bodies.”
In January, Johnson (the one responsible for the accident) was sentenced to 24 years in prison. He will have to serve 12 years before he is eligible for parole. Meanwhile there is no telling what Waid will face.
“It’s a waiting game,” Toni said. “Seth is all I know. I don’t know how to live without him.”
To find out when more benefit shows will be performed, how to make contributions to Waid’s family and to keep up with Waid’s progress, check out the “Help Sethen Waid” website at www.helpsethwaid.com.
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