Tate fall boy has smile back on his face - family
The boy is happier again after a previous setback in his recovery, his family say in an update.
The family of a boy who was thrown from the Tate Modern's viewing balcony in 2019 has announced that he is "smiling again" after being discharged from the hospital.
The French child, then six years old, sustained severe injuries on August 4, 2019, when he was attacked by Jonty Bravery, who was a teenager at the time, at the London attraction.
While on holiday with his parents, the boy survived a 100-foot (30-meter) fall, but suffered life-altering injuries, including a brain hemorrhage and multiple bone fractures.
Nearly seven years after the incident, his family, who affectionately call him "notre petit chevalier" (our little knight), shared on a fundraising page that he briefly returned to school before the summer holidays.
In a post on the site, they wrote: "Our little knight has finally left the hospital! His hospital stay was kept as short as possible because, despite our daily presence and encouragement, our son was becoming deeply disheartened and kept asking when he could go back to class and see his friends. It was a great joy for him to return to school shortly before the summer holidays; since the lessons were well-tailored to his needs and challenges, he was able to start learning again, and reuniting with his teachers and classmates put a smile back on his face."
The family's most recent update in April indicated a "sad step backwards" in his recovery, but this new message appears more optimistic.
The fundraiser was initiated by Vicky Diplacto, a nurse from Surrey, whose own brother was paralyzed in an incident abroad. The campaign, which aims to cover the French boy's medical expenses, has so far raised over £500,000.
According to his family, the boy continues to undergo intensive rehabilitation, including physiotherapy, speech therapy, and neuropsychology.
Jonty Bravery, now 24, was in supported accommodation at the time of the attack but was permitted unsupervised outings. A court later heard that he had intended to select and kill someone. Bravery, who was 17 at the time, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and received a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years.