Fan who fell 21 feet at Pirates game takes first steps since fall, per fundraising page, 'still has a long way to go'

Yahoo

06-05-2025

Kavan Markwood was carted off the field and transported to a local hospital in critical condition after falling 21 feet to the warning track at a Pittsburgh Pirates game. (Photo by)
Kavan Markwood, the 20-year-old man who fell 21 feet onto the warning track at a Pittsburgh Pirates game, took his first steps on Monday since the fall.
This is according to the organizer of a GoFundMe page raising money for his recovery, Jennifer Phillips.
"Kav took his first steps today!" Phillips wrote. "It's a slow slow process, but seeing him up and moving was a huge win and definitely lifted everyone's spirits."
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The update is the first since Phillips wrote on Saturday that Markwood was "awake, alert, and able to speak." That update to his status was the first since Markwood's fall from the bleachers on Wednesday at Pittsburgh's PNC Park left him in critical condition.
Markwood fell over the outfield railing 21 above the field during the seventh inning of Pittsburgh's game against Chicago Cubs. He flipped multiple times in his fall and landed on the warning track below, where he remained motionless for several minutes as medical staff from both teams tended to him.
Markwood was transported to Allegheny General Hospital. Pittsburgh Public Safety later announced that Markwood was in critical condition and that the fall was "being treated accidental in nature."
Phillips, who introduced herself on the GoFundMe page as the mother of Markwood's girlfriend, wrote on Monday that Markwood "still has a long way to go" while detailing his injuries that include a broken neck.
"He still has a long way to go — he's dealing with a broken neck, clavicle, and back so there are plenty of obstacles ahead," Phillips wrote." But he's showing real strength, and we're staying hopeful for a smooth recovery. This will also require plenty of rest and following instructions from the great doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital."
An article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review identified Markwood on Thursday, a day after his fall. Markwood played football at South Allegheny High School and graduated in 2022. He went on to play football at Walsh University and Wheeling University, both Division II programs.