Zac O’Brien has been rushed to hospital after contracting a severe infection that caused a startling indentation in his forehead.
The 24-year-old was admitted on Monday (June 2) and quickly updated his followers on social media about his condition. In a video that has since garnered 2.4 million views, O’Brien can be seen with significant facial swelling, including a puffy eye and a pronounced depression in his forehead.
In the footage, O’Brien demonstrates the severity of the condition by placing his finger into the indentation to show its depth. “The staph infection was caused by wrestling with a small abrasion to the forehead, which then got infected,” O’Brien explained to What’s The Jam.
“And the pain at the start was horrible. I would have rather been elbowed in the head than have that pain again,” he continued. “I’ve been through 14 IV bags of antibiotics and am starting to feel better.”
According to medical information from the NHS, staph infections are caused by Staphylococcus bacteria. While they commonly affect the skin and can sometimes resolve independently, severe cases like O’Brien’s require hospitalization and intensive treatment.
The Australian currently holds a professional record of four wins and three losses. All of his victories have come by knockout or technical knockout. O’Brien maintains an active social media presence with 14,100 Instagram followers where he regularly shares training footage and personal updates.
Making light of his serious medical situation, O’Brien captioned his hospital video with the quip: “It’s not that deep.”
The post has generated significant engagement with 11,400 likes and hundreds of supportive comments from concerned fans. “Ouch,” wrote one follower, while another added, “3rd eye opened!” Many wished him a speedy recovery with messages like “Geezzz, hope you get well ASAP” and “Speedy recovery, brother.”
Another follower who had experienced a similar infection commented, “Had staph in the same place, it’s not fun…”
O’Brien, who grew up in Sydney but now resides on Australia’s Gold Coast, is currently recovering at Robina Hospital in Queensland. Despite the setback, he’s hoping to recover in time for his next scheduled bout on July 26.
