Boy thrown from 10th floor of Tate Modern now mostly out of wheelchair
A boy thrown from the 10th floor of the Tate Modern art gallery is now mostly out of his wheelchair, his family says.
The French youngster, who was six at the time of the attack, survived the 100ft (30m) fall but suffered life-changing injuries, including a bleed on the brain and broken bones in August 2019.
His family, who call him “notre petit chevalier” – our little knight – say he is now able to bend down, squat and grab his toys and clothes with both hands from his closet without falling or dropping them.
They added: “More importantly, he now only uses his wheelchair for long outings.
“We are therefore rearranging the house to adapt it to its new mode of travel: precarious walking.”
His attacker, autistic teenager Jonty Bravery, was living in supported accommodation in 2019 but was allowed out unsupervised when he targeted the boy.
He was convicted of attempted murder in 2020 and jailed for 15 years.
The French youngster, who spent months in intensive care, has also developed a passion for green issues, his family says.
“He reinvests what he learned this year at school, in particular to protect the planet: he does not forget to remind us to turn off the lights, to save water and collect all the trash he finds on the beach or in the forest,” his family said.
“We always have to have a bag on hand!”
He also undergoes intensive physiotherapy and calls his daily exercises his “Naruto training” – a reference to the anime ninja character Naruto, who is known for his willpower.
“It’s a lot of work but our son loves it, his efforts pay off,” the family said.
The child is preparing for the new school year, and will now attend each morning, with group care and rehabilitation in the afternoons.
His memory is progressing, and he has been able to try and watch movies with his family, which was previously too exhausting.
“We also took advantage of this summer to try watching films again as a family. Until now, it was too tiring for our son and he didn’t remember anything from it, but it’s finally starting to improve,” his family said.