Help for Derick Salguero

On November 15th, our one-of-a-kind, wildly talented, hard-working, hyper-energetic, incredibly inspired and inspiring 18-year-old guitar superhero friend, Derick Salguero, was involved in a really bad motorcycle accident. He was on his way home from a songwriting and rehearsal session in the early evening when he lost control of his motorcycle near the Rosecrans exit of the 405 freeway going 50 mph. He suffered severe breaks of both legs, a cracked knee cap, and a brain bleed, and was taken to the trauma center at UCLA Harbor Hospital, where he underwent surgery to install titanium rods in his legs, and following that, began blood transfusions to get his red cell count high enough to begin physical therapy.

As many of you know, Derick is an incredibly dedicated musician. He practices and writes for hours every day and plays two to four shows per week. He has been on a path to a musical career for nearly his entire life, and at just 18 years old, he is already a seasoned performer and easily one of the best guitarists in the South Bay. And as anyone who has met him also knows, just being around Derick makes you smile. He is positive, productive, super intelligent, generous with his time, and absolutely hilarious. These injuries have temporarily taken away his ability to earn a living, but his will and determination are stronger than ever.

Derick is a special person who makes others’ lives better, something I know firsthand. And the rest of the day could be spent writing glowing things about him, but Derick needs our help, so...

Here’s where things stand: Due to the extent of the damage to Derick’s legs, the next months will be filled with wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches, probably in that order. On the night before Thanksgiving, he was transferred to Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center in Downey, where he began intensive physical therapy. With a bit of luck, in about three weeks, Derick will hopefully be healthy enough to move on to the next stage of his recovery as an outpatient. We all thank God that Derick is alive and that his head and hands were not injured during the accident. And while he is in a lot of pain, he has his guitar with him and is committed to returning to playing and performing as soon as humanly possible.

This is what we know, but there is much we do not know about what comes next. While the Salgueros have health insurance, this type of event is above and beyond any personal or private health policy. There are significant bills and expenses on the way. This GoFundMe will assist in filling in the gaps of medical expenses, home retrofitting, lost income, transportation, and other issues facing Derick as he recovers.

If you know and care for Derick, please share this. Every little bit will help return normalcy and peace of mind as he faces the many challenges ahead.

And… on Sunday, December 11th, Brent Reger and Joe Smith of Project Barley will host a benefit show at Project Barley Taps and Grill at the Redondo Beach pier. This venue and the Project Barley Brewery in Lomita have always been special spots for Derick to play, and Derick’s musical family will be performing all day to support everyone’s astonishingly talented, lovable, and humble younger brother. Please come out, have fun, and let’s help Derick get back on his feet and rocking this town like he’s supposed to!