FRIENDS and family of a 20-year-old Darwen man, critically injured in a quad biking accident this month in Greece, have started a fundraising campaign to bring him home.

Mason Ralph, 20, of Marsh House Lane, Darwen, was in Malia on the island of Crete with five friends when the horrific crash happened.

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Doctors told his family to prepare for the worst as Mason lay in a coma, but despite having three fractured vertebrae, a punctured lung, possible brain damage and liver damage the fighter has proven them wrong.

Now the talented footballer is awake in the intensive care unit of Venizelio General Hospital of Heraklion and is slowly recovering.

Mason’s best friend Pietro Capitelli has now set up a fundraising page to help raise cash to help towards Mason’s medical expenses and return home.

Pietro said: “Mason and his family don’t need to think about money right now. They have enough to worry about. The accident has really cut us up.

“Mason played football every week with us and last week we didn’t want to play without him.

“I was planning to go on holiday with the rest of the lads but I couldn’t get the time off. I feel guilty that I wasn’t there and that I wasn’t there to help after the accident.

“Some of his friends who were out there at the time of the accident are going out this week to see how he is. I want to go out with them.

“We have been talking about how we can raise money for him so I set up the page.

“The page has been shared by Anthony Pilkington, a Cardiff City footballer and Republic of Ireland international from Darwen, on his Twitter so I’m hopeful that we get some money in from that.”

Just days after going live, £745 has already been donated. According to the Mason’s dad Simon, it will cost between £7,000 and £27,000 to get him home, depending on how much medical assistance he requires while flying home. So far £1,500 has been raised.

Caitlin Jones, who attended DACA with Mason, is also fundraising and is making an announcement about a series of fundraising events at the Anchor pub in Darwen at 1pm today.

Pietro said: “Me and Caitlin have collaborated to set things up, me and my friends have set up a football tournament at the soccerdome that were sorting out and me and Caitlin have set up a charity football match against AFC Darwen on the 21st of August at 7pm down at The Anchor Ground. All of Mason’s close friends will be playing.”

And a go fund me page has been set up by another of Mason’s friends Scott McKenna and so far he has raised £755.

To donate, visit crowdfunding.justgiving.com/pietro-capitelli or www.gofundme.com/zky8dg.