Leslie's condition upgraded to "fair"

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Hospital officials have upgraded Albert "Leslie" Cochran's condition to "fair," the first official signal that the cross-dressing Austin icon is improving after brain surgery following a fall on Oct. 3.

Family members had told KXAN that Cochran was removed from ICU at University Medical Center Brackenridge and is expected to survive his head injury, which happened in the early morning hours of 1 a.m. after he collapsed next to a taxi on Oltorf near I-35.

Tuesday afternoon's announcement was the first time hospital officials had acknowledged Cochran's presence at the hospital or his condition, citing federal privacy laws. Family members said they got in touch with them earlier Tuesday.

Alice Cochran Masterson, Cochran's sister, said he'll probably need assisted living for the rest of his life.

"He is improving, and he will probably have to go into some kind of living facility. He won’t be able to live on his own," Masterson said. "But he is going to survive, he is improving. They don’t ever think he’ll be able to live on the streets again."

A public vigil is being planned at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, on Red River between 12th and 15th Streets - at the driveway into UMC Brackenridge.

A friend of Cochran's said he is showing little to no signs of brain activity.

EMS officials said an ambulance was called to the scene after a witness saw Cochran acting oddly on the sidewalk. The call came in around 12:50 a.m. on Oct. 3. Cochran then fell in front of a taxi. When EMS arrived on the scene, medics say he was already unconscious.

EMS called ahead for a trauma team to meet Cochran when he arrived at Brackenridge Hospital. Officials at the hospital have declined to confirm he was there, citing rules against official release of information.

But family  members have been able to get some information about his condition from sources close to the hospital, who told her at noon on Tuesday that he had brain surgery to relieve bleeding and swelling after his fall more than a week ago.

"He’ll have to have monitored care. He’s in a step just below ICU right now. From there he’ll move to a regular room at this point. They expect thim to continually get better, but how much better he’s going to get is unknown," she said. "But he is on the road to improvement. He will survive. People need to know that. People need to know he isn't dead."

Cochran, 58, is "arguably the most locally famous street person in Austin" according to his Wikipedia article. He is often seen downtown wearing women's clothing, and has run for mayor. He is a staunch advocate for the rights of homeless people. 

The family member said he spent two years in college and spent time in the Navy as well. He's lived his current "unique" lifestyle for a few decades, she said, and "he is who he is. He’s a unique individual. He’s Albert."

"He likes the publicity. He likes the media, and he likes who he is. He’s a highly intelligent person, and he’s happy doing what he’s doing," she said. "We have respected Albert and his lifestyle and how he wants to live."

Laughing, she added: "We don’t agree with it, but we have respected it."

It's not uncommon for folks visiting downtown to approach Leslie for photographs with the scantily clad man.  He almost always obliges.

Leslie is so popular, he even has his own line of dress-up refrigerator magnets that can be purchased at stores across Austin. The paper-doll-style magnet set includes a mini-skirt, a cheerleader outfit and leopard print dress, with accessories, that you can use to dress up the Austin icon.

Jimmy Haddox owns the Wet Salon on South Congress. He started the magnet franchise in 2006 with an agreement that Leslie would get half the proceeds. Haddox has since handed over the entire franchise to Leslie. He said Thursday he has not seen Leslie in a few weeks, but would not be surprised if something bad did happen.

"He didn't look too great last time I saw him," Haddox said during a telephone interview last Thursday.

KXAN Austin News will post more details on his condition as they become available.

UPDATE: Link Fixed: Send your pics with Leslie here, and we'll publish them on our Web site.