A teenager ‘almost killed’ when he was hit by a motorcycle doing 69mph as he walked on a pedestrian crossing has amazed doctors by marking a miracle recovery.
Joe Boyer, 14, was carried for 140 yards, broke almost every bone in his body and suffered severe brain injury when his head hit a pavement.
Two off-duty police officers who rushed to the teenager’s aid at first believed the youngster had been killed in the crash in April 2016.
However, Joe’s life was saved by the swift actions of the police officers and a brain injury specialist who incredibly was in an air ambulance transporting another patient.
Joe, from Chesterfield, South Yorks., was transported to Sheffield Children’s Hospital by helicopter where the extent of his injuries became apparent.
In addition to a severe brain injury, Joe also had third-degree burns, femoral fractures, a fractured pelvis and spine as well as significant damage to his kidneys, lungs and spleen.
He was left unable to walk, eat or talk.
His mother Marie Boyer, 42, said “the only thing he didn’t break was one arm”.
She added: “In the eight hours after Joe’s admission, the medical team had to resuscitate Joe four times.
“We thought we’d lost him but they kept bringing him back to life”.
Joe spent the next two weeks in a coma and spent a month in recovery at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, relying on the Intensive Care Unit and the Burns Ward.
Devastatingly, the brain injury meant he has had to learn to walk, talk and eat again.
Marie added: “Physically Joe has mended really well.
“The brain injury continues to affect his short term memory, but he has managed to take his GCSE’s which is a huge achievement.”
Joe, now 16, is due to start a cookery course at his local college as he looks to fulfill his lifelong dream to become a chef.
His family remain indebted to the medical staff at Sheffield Children’s Hospital for saving his life.
Marie said: “We can’t thank the air ambulance, the staff that cleared the park and all the team at Sheffield Children’s Hospital enough.
“Joe wouldn’t be here without them”.
The Children’s Hospital Charity has launched an appeal to build a new Helipad and expand the Emergency Department at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, to help children requiring critical care such as Joe.
Marie said: “If Sheffield Children’s Hospital can get their own Helipad, patients can get into the hospital quickly and avoid the problems of landing in the park.
“Minutes matter in these situations- several things came together to save Joe, but other families might not be so lucky”.
In the year of Joe’s accident, 16% of children with a traumatic injury arrived at Sheffield Children’s Hospital by air ambulance, landing in the public space at the nearby Weston Park, which is dependent on the weather, the time of day and any events taking place.
Patients then have to be transferred on stretchers across the busy A57, often under a police escort.
A new Helipad would mean patients can land anytime, thanks to flood lighting and electric trace heating incorporated into the deck to ensure that inclement weather does not disrupt its use.
The expanded Emergency Department will also create more space and privacy, ensuring children receive care in the most appropriate setting.
By Daniel Sheridan
