Family, friends, and fans of Christian rocker Dallas Taylor expressed concern after the musician was described to be in critical condition following a vehicular accident in Florida. Taylor, 36, is the lead singer of southern heavy metal band Maylene and the Sons of Disaster.
The accident occurred on Tuesday when the all-terrain vehicle Taylor was driving on church property near Ocala went out of control and hit a sign post, according to Fox News.
A helicopter responded to the scene of the accident, and Taylor was immediately flown to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
Authorities expressed concern because Taylor wasn't wearing a helmet when he got into an accident. His mother, Dottie Taylor, told the Ocala Star-Banner that doctors brought her son out of sedation briefly on Wednesday to perform neurological tests.
"He looked right at me and his sister. They had him move his feet and he wiggled his finger," she said.
One of his most serious injuries is a small brain bleed and a clot in his carotid artery, according to his mother. Even though doctors want to give him blood thinners to break up the clot, they cannot do so because it might only worsen the bleeding in his brain, she said.
"The clot is what is worrying the the most right now. They are just keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't move," Dottie Taylor said.
Meanwhile, his bandmates posted an update on Taylor's health on their Facebook page: "Dallas is making basic touch responses like hand squeezing and slight movement. He is not awake, but is showing signs of improvement. They have been running neurological tests and he is set to go into surgery this afternoon to repair the multiple broken bones in his arm."
His bandmate Brad Lehmann has put up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Taylor's medical expenses, and they have so far raised $13,000 out of a $75,000 goal.
"Although we don't currently know the magnitude of Dallas' injuries, we do know they are extensive. He will be out of work and in the hospital for an unspecified amount of time. He will have a long painful recovery ahead of him and massive pile of medical bills. If Dallas has touched your life in some way and you want to help, here's your chance," Lehmann writes.
