Boy thrown from Tate Modern’s 10th floor now able to run and swim, says family | Tate Modern
A boy who was thrown from the 10th floor of London’s Tate Modern six years ago can now run and swim limited distances set forth by his family.
The unnamed French boy, whom his parents called “the little knight”, suffered life-changing injuries in the attack in August 2019. Jonty Bravery was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the attempted murder of the boy.
The six-year-old boy, who was on holiday with his family, survived the 30-metre fall but suffered serious injuries, including a brain haemorrhage and broken bones. It was feared that he would be wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life.
But in a new, optimistic progress report on his recoveryHis family described in detail how unaided he now moves. They said: “Our little knight has long been aiming to run, jump and swim again. Of course, he cannot do this like other children his age, but we can no longer describe what he does in any other way than running, jumping and swimming.”
“It’s different, just over a few meters or so in height, but it’s an incredible achievement. We’re happy he was able to reach this stage of progress before his next surgery.”
The family said the procedure, which will be performed early next year, will immobilize him for two months. Doctors told him he needed to gain more mobility after treatment. “The surgeon is counting on all the progress he has made so far to reassure him of his future benefits and that he can do even better,” the family said.
They said their “pre-adolescent” son’s memory was still limited but was improving as he gained “cognitive stamina.” This summer he enjoyed a holiday in the mountains with other children who did not speak French. “Our son was able to work on his English and teach some French,” his family said.
They said the psychomotor therapist worked with the child to help him stop the contraction on the left side of his body that was causing the pain. They said the boy also needed 10 separate rehabilitation sessions each week.
The family said they are trying to find a new school for their son that will allow him to do all the classes in the curriculum and still have time for these therapy sessions.
They added that this “means we will have to move again soon to ensure our son has the chance to progress.”
