Dad-of-two recovering from coma after being elbowed in the throat during FA Vase football match

Defender Tom Carlse, who plays for VCD Athletic, dropped to the ground the club’s FA Vase match against Hartpury University after being elbowed in the throat by an opposing player. Carlse, who has two one-year-old twins, was rushed to hospital after play was halted for almost 20 minutes while he received treatment.

VCD Athletic were beaten 1-0, but Carlse found himself with a far more difficult battle ahead of him. The sports coach, who also works across primary schools in Kent, was placed into an induced coma at Darent Valley Hospital after undergoing emergency surgery.

His larynx had been fractured in multiple places; now recovering in intensive care, Carlse faces a long road before he can even return home, let alone step back out onto the pitch.

A GoFundMe has been launched to support the family while Carlse recovers, and has already raised more than £15,000.

Friend Joe Foster said: “Tom is still unable to eat or drink orally but is working on rehabilitating muscles in his throat to correct this hopefully in the near future. For people that know Tom, he is an incredible dad to his twin boys and this time in the hospital for the past three weeks has been incredibly tough on him, his boys and his whole family.

“In addition to the impact this has had on Tom’s health, this devastating injury has also put an inevitable financial strain on Tom and his family. Tom’s road to recovery is still uncertain and it is not yet clear when Tom will be able to return to work.

“All of Tom’s current planned work has been put on hold and therefore, so has his income.”

Click here to view the fundraiser and donate.