Son in coma after Leeds United promotion parade tree fall

A Leeds United fan who was seriously injured when he fell out of the tree he was in as he watched the team’s promotion parade remains in a critical condition in a coma, his mum has said.

Ed O’Brien, whose parents live in York, suffered life-threatening injuries during celebrations in Millennium Square on Monday and was taken to Leeds General Infirmary for treatment.

Mr O’Brien, who celebrated his 23rd birthday last week, had since undergone an operation but as of yet, the damage to his brain was unclear, his mum Stacey Barker said.

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 said.

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Barker 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,” Ms Barker said.

“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.”

Earlier, 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 said.

“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.”