Australian punk band Trophy Eyes have given an update on the health of the young fan who was seriously injured during one of their recent shows.
Bird Piche, 24, suffered a ‘catastrophic spinal injury’ that left her unable to move when singer John Floreani jumped into the mosh pit at a concert in Buffalo, New York, US, in May.
The band, who hail from Newcastle, said in a statement they were “truly heartbroken” by the incident but have decided to continue their US tour in 2024.
On Saturday, the band took to social media to provide an update on Bird’s health and now reports that the fan is making good progress in her recovery.
“We are happy to share that Bird is in the rehabilitation phase of his recovery,” the band said in a statement posted on Instagram.
They continued: ‘With physical therapy, she has regained movement in her arms and wrists, and has regained feeling in her legs and feet.
‘We all share the same optimism for his recovery, however, spinal injuries are very serious and require a lot of hard work and patience: the first year of rehabilitation is critical.
‘Bird’s tenacity and hard work means he will hopefully soon leave his unit and continue his rehabilitation and recovery in a new accessible home.
Australian punk band Trophy Eyes (pictured) have given an update on the health of the young fan who was seriously injured during one of their recent shows.
Bird Piche, 24 (pictured), suffered a “catastrophic spinal injury” that left her unable to move when singer John Floreani jumped into the mosh pit at a concert in Buffalo, New York, US, in May.
‘Bird and his family still have a long road ahead of them as they continue to recover, so we ask that you keep them in your thoughts and continue to respect their privacy.’
The band also thanked their fans in the post for their support, adding: “We remain in frequent communication with Bird as we continue to work closely with the family to assist in Bird’s recovery in any way we can.”
The band signed their update: “We love you, Bird.”
Trophy Eyes has already donated $5,000 to Bird’s GoFundMe page, which is linked on their online band platform.
Fans of the group showed their support for both the band and Bird in the comments.
“Accidents happen and you guys have handled this with all the power you have, something I have the utmost respect for. I hope Bird is okay and that her recovery is as smooth as possible,” one follower wrote.
“We are happy to share that Bird is in the rehabilitation phase of his recovery,” the band said in a statement posted on Instagram.
“I’m so happy to see all the kind comments on this post for both parties. Stay strong and keep going!” added another.
‘Sending my love to Bird and those close to her, also sending my love to the boys in Trophy Eyes,’ another fan posted.
In May, shortly after the accident, Bird and his family told NBC News that he had regained the use of his arms and some function of his legs, but not full use of his hands and toes.
“When you hear about these types of injuries, they’re obviously very serious, so I didn’t expect to have any recovery,” Bird told the network at the time.
He has now regained his gross motor skills: the most basic movements of his arms and legs.
Bird hopes to develop fine motor skills and the ability to perform complex movements with fingers and toes to accomplish basic, everyday tasks.
In May, shortly after the accident, Bird and his family told NBC News that he had regained the use of his arms and some function of his legs, but not full use of his hands and toes.
“My arms, apart from manual dexterity, are almost complete. My fingers do not have full movement,” he added.
Bird also revealed that his legs were making spontaneous kicking movements.
He explained that he has been attending rehabilitation and his prognosis was very positive.
“They believe I will make a full recovery. There’s nothing certain, obviously, but they predict I will make a full recovery from everything,” he said.
Bird said he had a clear memory of Floreani jumping backwards into the crowd.
The band’s lead singer, John Floreani, lunged into the crowd (pictured), crushing Piche and seriously injuring her.
“It was like, his body and my neck, it was like crowd surfing.”
Bird’s family had great fears for her after the incident. “We were even worried that she wouldn’t survive,” said her mother, Amy Leigh Flaminio.
“It’s going to be a long road, but the early signs are very promising. It’s exciting.”
The show, at Buffalo’s Mohawk Place, was immediately halted and Floreani accompanied Bird to the hospital with his family.
The manager of Mohawk Place said the location where the accident occurred had a strict “no moshing” policy.
“There are signs posted everywhere at the venue and a notice was included in emails for this show with the show promoter and the band themselves,” manager Mike Thor said in a statement.
“Our practiced policy and procedure is to completely stop any stage jumping that has been implemented following this incident.”
