| MADINA LAKE bassist Matthew Leone's "prognosis is getting better by the hour"... |
| Written by Shahlin Graves |
| Saturday, 03 July 2010 12:36 |
 UPDATE: Nathan Leone has posted a new blog... "Matthew Update There’s really no way to appropriately express our appreciation for everyone’s support. We’ve had calls, letters, gifts, and well wishes pouring in from all around the world and it’s truly the most beautiful and genuine show of compassion and love that we’ve ever experienced. we very sincerely thank you all.. Matthew’s making good progress. His doctors have scheduled the next surgery for July 16th wherein they hope to re-apply the portion of his skull that has been removed to accommodate the swelling in his brain. So for the next 2 weeks he will continue to rest, build up his strength and spirit and hopefully by then he’ll be healthy enough for surgery. Huge thank you to Dr. Neckrysh and his team of neuro-surgeons and the entire staff at UIC Hospitals, who’ve been amazing and have quite literally saved Matthew’s life. In other news, the Chicago Police Department have arrested Justin Pivec - the alleged attacker. Detectives Michael D’Andrea and Joseph Gentile of Area 4 Special Victims Unit and the entire CPD have worked relentlessly to make the arrest and I can’t thank them enough. For now, Justin Pivec is charged with Aggravated Battery Causing Serious Bodily Injury. We’ll release more information as we get it and as is appropriate to share. I’ll never understand violence in general… violence against women is simply appaling. When Matthew saw the attack in progress, he was well aware that intervening was most likely going to turn out pretty badly for himself, but he did it anyway.. i’m just super proud of him and super grateful for the community that has rallied around him. This has been an impossible time for us and without the support of these doctors, the police, our attorney, management, friends, family, bands, labels, and every single one of you who has written, called, text, sent gifts, positive energy, love, support, awareness, etc. I don’t think we would have been able to pull through. So please, I hope every one of you realize what a critical part you’ve played in helping Matthew recover. We’ll never be able to thank you enough. all the love in the world xoxo Nathan" In an interview with MTV, MADINA LAKE frontman Nathan Leone has revealed that his twin brother Matthew's "prognosis is getting better by the hour". Matthew has a broken jaw and nose and a fractured skull - and doctors were forced to remove a third of his skull to ease the pressure on his brain which was swelling - as the result of attempting to intervene in a domestic dispute in Chicago as he walked to meet a friend nearby his brother's apartment. Nathan told MTV that: "I've been there for about 72 hours, next to him, constantly, and I basically just took an hour to go home and take a shower. I'm going back [to the hospital] now. [Matthew] had all kinds of injuries, and his brain was swelling, so doctors had to remove part of his skull and put it on ice while we wait for the swelling to stop and the hematoma to stop leaking." "It was touch and go for a while there, but at this point, things are starting to turn around, which is wonderful. The first couple of days, he couldn't recognize me or say anything coherent, but this morning he did. And now he's aware and talking and moving around a little, which is wonderful. So the prognosis is getting better by the hour." Although Nathan is optimistic that Matthew will be able to leave hospital "within the next three to five days", he will have to wear protective headwear until doctors are able to re-attach the portions of his skull they removed. There's also an issue of health insurance: "We don't have health insurance. It's a horrible coincidence, because as we've been on tour, it's been hard to manage bills. And then you get home, and you start writing again, and the bills just become too hard to catch up with. So, no, we don't have insurance. But we'll deal with that when we have to." Throughout the events of the past three days, Nathan thanks their support network of "friends, fans, neighbours, labels and management" for helping his brother pull through with their words of kindness. As his brother drifted in and out of consciousness, he read him some of the online messages from Madina Lake fans. "I truly believe that. They helped save his life." Nathan also told MTV that Chicago police have already made an arrest in connection with Matthew's assault. Read more about the assault of Matthew Leone HERE.  |
