Leeds Fan in Coma After Tragic Accident During Team’s Promotion Parade
A Leeds United fan remains in critical condition and in a coma after falling from a tree while trying to get a better view during the club’s Premier League promotion parade, his mother has told the BBC. Ed O’Brien, 23, was rushed to Leeds General Infirmary for treatment on Monday evening.
Leeds United are set to return to the Premier League next season for the first time in five years, following a dramatic end to the Championship campaign. The Yorkshire club, which had previously spent 13 years outside the top flight, clinched the title in extraordinary fashion on the final day, with Manor Solomon’s 91st-minute winner against Plymouth taking them to 100 points – level with Burnley, who missed out on glory due to an inferior goal difference.
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Tragically, the celebrations have coincided with a serious accident. While the full extent of O’Brien’s head injuries remains unclear, his condition is critical, and his family is now hoping for a swift and full recovery, with his mother now detailing what happened in a heartbreaking statement.
A fundraiser has been set up to help with his recovery
Ms Barker told the BBC: “Ed and his siblings are incredibly close, and they’re feeling his absence acutely, as are his dad and I.” A fundraiser set up for Mr O’Brien had hit over £10,000, with NBA star and Leeds United investor Larry Nance donating £2,000, she went on to explain.
She also expressed concerns over some comments which had been made online about the circumstances surrounding Mr O’Brien’s fall. Social media posts had been “extremely distressing” for the entire family, she said.
“We wanted to minimise the countless untruths which are currently circulating around Ed’s condition and also to urge people to consider what they are writing on social media for Ed’s loved ones to see.
“We are going through one of the worst things a parent can go through and some of the unwarranted comments are further compounding our heartache as a family. Ed is just a young man who made a mistake, and he’s paying for it dearly.”
Prior to the interview, on social media, Ms Barker had explained that her son had “climbed a tree, he’d had a few bottles, he was high on nothing but life – and he’s been incredibly unlucky”. She said her son had suffered “a freak accident that is likely to affect him, and all of us, whatever the outcome, for many years to come”.
“Any recovery at all from this incident is likely to be a slow and lengthy process and is unlikely to be without implications,” she wrote. Ms Barker told the BBC the family was currently travelling to and from Leeds two to four times a day to spend as much time as possible with Mr O’Brien.
“We’re holding onto every hope that our son and brother comes out of this as unscathed as possible, given his injuries,” she added. “As yet, there is little improvement in his condition. He remains in a coma, but the fantastic team looking after him are confident he is showing some positive signs.”
