UNION — Friends and family of a local auto accident victim plan to “rock out” to raise funds for her.
When Denise Grady was invited to a Generation aXe concert — to be held at 9 p.m. Friday at Shady’s — she accepted and began to browse the names of others who had submitted an online RSVP. She ran across the name of one of her high school friends — Mary Jo Justice — and “liked” that Justice said she would attend.
“I was excited because I was going to get to see my friend from high school,” she said.
Two hours later, she received some disturbing news.
Mary Jo Justice and her sister-in-law Tara Depratter were on their way home from Georgia around 8:30 p.m. Friday evening when Depratter suffered a heart attack behind the wheel. According to their friend Amanda Armstrong, Justice over-corrected the vehicle, and it flipped after being t-boned by another driver.
Armstrong said they were able to put stints in Depratter’s heart, but Justice was flown to Greenville. Armstrong went to the hospital to visit Justice, but she was not able to go back and see her.
“They told us she was so close to death she couldn’t get any closer,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong discussed the situation with Grady, letting her know that Justice has no medical insurance and the family faces hefty medical bills and travel expenses for daily visits.
“It’s just not a good situation,” Armstrong said.
That is when Grady decided to talk with the band Generation aXe which was scheduled to perform the concert which she had planned to attend with Justice.
The band agreed to turn the concert into a benefit for Justice.
Generation aXe consists of Brian Stuart (lead vocals), Chip Osborne (lead guitar), Johnny Volianitis (bass), and H.D. Fulbright (drums). They bill their show as “rock & roll the way it’s meant to be played,” and their set includes tunes from the 80s, 90s and today. They cover bands such as AC/DC, Guns N Roses, Foreigner, Skid Row, Bon Jovi, Rage Against the Machine, Van Halen, Ozzy, Pantera, and more.
Those who are unable to attend Friday’s concert but would still like to donate may contact Denise Grady at (864) 441-1209 or Amanda Armstrong at (864) 441-3699.
Staff Writer Derik Vanderford can be reached at 864-427-1234, ext. 29, or by email at dvanderford@civitasmedia.com.
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