A Leeds United fan who was left in a coma by a horror fall during the club's promotion parade has paid an emotional tribute to his family, the Whites fanbase and medical professionals who saved his life.

Ed O'Brien was left with serious injuries after falling from a tree and spent six days in a coma before what his family described as a 'miracle' awakening. The 23-year-old has now returned home to continue his recovery from the injuries, a month after the fall. He believes he's lucky to be alive.

"Well, I'm very sorry to have worried you all," he said. "I've been unbelievably lucky. I want to say a proper thank you and try put in to words how much you've all done for me. My recovery continues but yesterday ended a month in the hospital after my fall at the champions parade.

"I have to start with Leeds General Infirmary, where my life was saved by a team to whom I now owe everything that follows. Words won't do it, but I will never not be grateful. St Jimmy's also, where I have spent the last three weeks - what an amazing team, ran off their feet day in day out, but couldn't do more for you. An unbelievable set of folk in both places. I don't remember the incident, but have also been told about the rapid ambulance response and the many people who put their celebrations to one side for a moment to ensure I could get the help I needed, all of which has given me a chance."

Ed also expressed his gratitude to his family and parents Stacey Barker and Carl O'Brien.

He said: "They somehow managed to deal with the hardest time of their lives -their words, not mine - and simultaneously gave everything to ensure I could get back to being me as soon as possible. No matter how old you are, your parents will always be the first ones to get you out of whatever mess you get yourself in. The rest of my family has also dragged me through this more than they'll ever know - I've always known I was incredibly lucky to have them all but this has taken it to another level."

Leeds United support

The incident sparked an outpouring of well wishes and support for Ed and his family, including fundraising to help with the logistical costs associated with trips from York to hospital in Leeds to be by his bedside. His friend Harvey Rushton came up with the idea to take the strain off Ed's parents.

"I've seen the thousands of messages of support online and it honestly has helped a hell of a lot to drag me through the many setbacks," said Ed. "I'm not sure quite how to explain it, but mentally it has put me in a position to just keep going forward and get home. Thank you all for your well wishes and prayers. The hundreds of donations also - you've taken all the financial stress of this off my family. Because of the amount raised, adaptations have been made to allow me to get out of hospital and back to my family. My mother and father have lost, by our standards, a good deal of money, having to take time off work and travel to and from Leeds every day, and this would have been incredibly difficult without all of your help.

"Harvey Rushton, I have some mate in you. To think about the financial impact such an incident would have on my family & to go out of your way to set this up, it shows the type of bloke you are."

Clarifying online criticism

With the money left over, Ed wants to make donations to the hospitals where he was treated. And he is keen to clarify suggestions online that alcohol or drugs were the reason for his fall.

"Though a lot of the criticism was badly timed, much of it wasn't wrong - deserved or not, the consequences came as a direct result of my actions and if hitting my head that hard won't knock some sense in to me, I'm not quite sure what will," he said.

"To clear up, I wasn't paralytic drunk or 'drugged up', and I'd never go out my way to cause problems - I was just being daft at the highest point of my life and a branch has snapped from underneath me. It's still on me, and I'm not about to risk putting my closest people through something like that again."

He's looking forward to a return to home life, playing snooker and watching his football club again. The chance to do all of that has left him incredibly grateful.

"A culmination of the aforementioned has got me from a 10 per cent chance of survival to somehow being out of hospital with a clear mind just a month after the event," he said. "A burning desire to get home to my family, to see my mates, to get back to my snooker club and a need to get back to Elland Road when the time comes back around to see those boys in white. Words don't cut it, but a huge debt I owe to you all. This feels like the start of putting this behind me and to be here so soon makes me feel incredible."