Thousands of pounds have been raised for a Leeds United fan ‘fighting for his life’ after an incident at the promotion parade.
Over £9,000 and rising has been donated for Edward O’Brien, a 23 year old who fell from a tree in Millennium Square during the celebrations and has suffered life threatening injuries.
His mother Stacey Barker posted on Facebook, saying: “I didn’t want to put this on here, and I certainly didn’t want to put this out so soon, but the sheer amount of people that have messaged me I simply don’t have the time to reply to.
“There are also posts on social media that I have been made aware of – some positive, some not so much – and I feel, while my son is unable to defend himself, it’s my duty as his mother to do it for him.
“Some of you may already know that my oldest son was injured in the Leeds United victory parade on Bank Holiday Monday. For those that don’t, this is to clear some things up. I have tried to keep this within the family, as this is obviously extremely distressing for all of us, and I’ve tried to control who knows what out of respect for my son and also my other 3 children. However, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that this isn’t going to be something we can keep quiet for long at all and I don’t want any further untruths circulated regarding my son.
On Monday at the Leeds United Parade, a good mate of ours was badly hurt.
Ed is a great lad, and we’re all rooting for him right now. If you can spare anything to help, it would be massively appreciated. https://t.co/t8CVr9UA49
— Skylights (@SkylightsYRA) May 7, 2025
“At some point during the winners parade yesterday, for reasons only Edward knows of, he decided to climb a tree lining the procession in Leeds city centre.
“As far as I am aware, he had consumed alcohol but I am confident he wasn’t paralytic as some posts are suggesting.
“I am also as confident as a mother can be that no other substance was involved.
“Edward enjoys a drink but I have NEVER had any reason to suspect ANY drug use where he was concerned. Ever.
“At some point during the victory celebrations, my son has fallen from this tree, where he was sat at a significant height hitting the concrete below him and, as a result, he has sustained serious, life threatening injuries.
“He was taken to LGI immediately, in a critical condition, where we joined him around 50 minutes later.
“His injuries are extensive and, over 24 hours later, he remains in a coma.
“His prognosis is still unclear but, what is certain is that, any recovery at all from this incident is likely to be a slow and lengthy process and is unlikely to be without implications.
“What these implications will be, nobody knows right now.
“To clarify, my boy is still with us, he is extremely poorly right now but NOBODY has written him off, least of all his family.
“To further clarify, he has done nothing any other young lad hasn’t in their lifetime.
“He climbed a tree, he’d had a few bottles, he was high on nothing but life and he’s been incredibly unlucky.
“Unfortunately, it was a freak accident that is likely to affect him, and all of us, whatever the outcome, for many years to come.
“I appreciate people are worried about him and are clutching at any information they may have heard but, as it stands, this is the situation firsthand.
“I can’t reply to messages individually, my priorities right now are my Son and my other children.
“For those who have simply messaged to say they’re thinking of him, that they are praying for him, thank you.
“He needs all the prayers and luck in the world right now, we all do 🙏🏼
“I’m hoping he shows the same resilience, the same strength, the same character we’ve all come to know and love him for in the coming days/weeks and months ahead 💙”
The JustGiving page reads: “I’m raising £750 for an emergency
“To Support Ed O’Brien and his family after Ed sadly fell out of a tree when celebrating Leeds winning the league on Monday and now is sadly fighting for his life in hospital his mum and dad both live in York and at this time it will be costing them both a lot in travel and time off work so I am just hoping we can all raise some money to take that stress away from them. MOT stay strong ED 💙💛
“Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
“Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, I will withdraw funds directly. It’s the most efficient way to donate and saves time and costs.”
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