Yesterday, the Avenged Sevenfold and Deathbat News family lost a dear friend, fan and reader. Wendy Parker, 25, was killed after being involved in a car accident due to a drunk driver. Matt, a good friend of hers, wanted to share his story of meeting Wendy through Avenged Sevenfold, falling in love and using the the power of the bands music to help cope with tragedy. I ask that you all keep her friends and family in your thoughts.
UPDATE: Wendys sister, Cyndi, has commented with a thank you from the family to you all.
“I’m not the biggest Avenged Sevenfold fan out there. I’m just a 23 year old guy from West Texas who has an incredible story to tell, one that starts with the band and their incredible music, grows into love, and ends with a not-so-happy ending.
I started listening to Avenged shortly after City of Evil was released. After hearing Bat Country on Myspace, I went out and bought the album and was instantly hooked. I gradually bought all of their albums, memorized their songs, and went to see them in concert. A7X had become my favorite band, and I quickly became aware of the avid fan base, as you all know as the A7X Family. I joined Twitter, and largely thanks to Deathbat News, I met hundreds of new people who shared the same musical taste as I did, and found myself growing closer to the band thanks to this family of friends who stuck together no matter what.
At first, Wendy Parker seemed like another face in the crowd, but for some reason, she stuck out to me. I had no idea what it was, but I was determined to find out what it was about this girl from Michigan that caught my eye. We began to get to know each other, texting each other every day at all hours. We shared stories that made us laugh. There were also the somber conversations, where I would tell her about the loss of my mother as a child. But Wendy always knew how to make me smile. She gradually became a huge part of my life.
Around the end of March, Wendy tells me that she’s looking into a job in the Dallas area. I couldn’t believe my ears…the girl of my dreams is moving across the country from Michigan to Texas, and she wants to meet me for the first time! It truly seemed to be a blessing from God. One day, while sitting next to her mother and texting me, her mom told her that she had a big childish grin on her face, and that she hasn’t seen Wendy this happy in a very long time.
A few days ago, Wendy receives a phone call from her current job where her boss explains that they have been running into problems that they need her to come in and sort out. She had been working from her mother’s house 3 hours away for the past few days, but agreed to make the drive in the morning.
Yesterday morning, Wendy made her last trip back to work that she’d ever make. The day started like any other: I called her when I woke up, and we texted all day as we both went about our busy days. Just after 5:00PM ET, she sent me a message saying she was heading home. I told her I couldn’t call at the moment because I was still at work, and for her to drive safe, and I loved her, and she replied with the same. I got off of work about two hours later and tried giving her a call, but no answer. I tried this every hour up till about 3AM ET, where I passed out with my phone on my chest, worried sick.
I woke up this morning to a text from Wendy, however it was her sister explaining that she had spent the past few hours trying to unlock her sister’s phone. I asked if everything was ok and she went on to give me the worst news I could possibly imagine: “No, it’s not. Wendy was in an accident last night on her way home. She didn’t make it.”
This day has been a complete nightmare since I woke up. All the hopes and dreams I had of the future have been shattered. I’ve learned to love through relationships before, but this was different. There are no words to describe my love for her. Wendy meant more to me than any girl I’ve personally been in a relationship with. We planned on attending Rock On The Range in Ohio next month, and I was going to surprise her by taking her to see Avenged in San Antonio in a few weeks.
Music was Wendy’s crutch: it was her way of getting away from her daily problems. One of her favorite bands was Avenged Sevenfold. It was one of many things that I loved about Wendy. It was the love of Avenged Sevenfold’s music that brought us together, and sadly, it’s how I cope with her passing. I’ve had “Seize the Day” and “So Far Away” playing several times over, asking her sister to play the latter at her funeral which I will be unable to attend.
I can’t explain the feelings flowing through me, even as a write this. Every breath I take feels like a sin. A woman as incredible as her should not be robbed of her life at the tender age of 25. I, however, am in no place to question the Man upstairs, and there is nothing I can do to turn back time and prevent this horrible tragedy from taking place. What I can do is share our story with all of you, in the hopes that word will spread of this amazing member of the A7X Family who lost her life on April 14, 2011, and that her love and compassion will live on through all of you.
I ask you, brothers and sisters, to pray for Wendy’s family, and that they may find peace in this dark time. I also humbly ask you to pray for me as well, as I constantly fight back tears even as I type this. Avenged Sevenfold and their incredible fan base meant the world to her, and all of your kind thoughts and prayers will not go unnoticed.
Not a day went by that I didn’t tell Wendy how much she meant to me. I called her an angel because she truly was a gift from God. Although I don’t agree with the amount of time her mortal life was given, I will cherish the short time I had with her, and will continue my life living to be the man she fell in love with.
RIP Wendy Parker. I love you, foREVer and always.
Sincerely,
Matt
“They say that all beauty must die, I say it just moves on”
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