Friends of an Edmonton man who has spent weeks in hospital recovering from a swarming attack say he may never be the same.
“He has to re-learn everything, — learn how to talk, walk, everything,” Todd Ross said.
Ross met Jeren Drew when he hired Drew to do stand-up comedy.
The pair then started working together on future shows.
“Everything was good, we were looking forward to a good 2025,” Ross said.
Those plans changed on Dec. 27.
That’s when police say a man — who friends have identified as Drew — was attacked by a group of people in an Edmonton apartment building.
Ross says Drew suffered multiple injuries, including to his brain.
At one point, Ross says doctors didn’t know if Drew would live.
“They had him on a full life support type of thing and from then he just fought his way back,” Ross said.
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Police have arrested and charged seven people between the ages of 16 and 21. Two of them face attempted murder charges.
“The excessive violence in this incident is shocking and unacceptable,” Det. Roy Paulino with the Edmonton Police Service said in a news release.
“Sadly, the 32-year-old male is unlikely to recover from his injuries and he and his family will be managing the life-long impacts of this attack.”
Friends say Drew has now been moved to Montreal and will recovering closer to his family.
But they’re unsure what recovery will look like.
“Let’s hope he hasn’t lost his sense of humour and still can pursue his dream of becoming a comedian,” Ross said.
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