A three-year-old boy who was seriously injured after being thrown into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo has been discharged from hospital and is settling back in at home, his family said.
The child returned home a few weeks ago after a lengthy hospital stay and more than seven operations. His parents said in an update posted online that he is happy to be home, playing with his toys, sleeping in his own bed and being a big brother.
Incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst
Johnsons of Old Hurst, a zoo near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, said in a previous social media post that it was alerted to reports that a child had allegedly been thrown into one of the crocodile enclosures on June 18.
A 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the incident and was later bailed as police said he was ‘assessed as not being fit for interview’. The suspect reportedly has learning difficulties and had been on a trip with carers, and an investigation has been launched into his care.
Family update and fundraising
The boy’s family launched a crowdfunding campaign to support them financially and help the boy’s recovery and rehabilitation, which has now raised more than £113,000. In an update shared on a GoFundMe page on Monday, August 24, his family announced the little boy was back at home.
‘Now that we are home, our son’s rehabilitation journey continues, and we can focus on ensuring our son has the best possible chance at recovery,’ his parents said. ‘Both of us will continue to stay by our son’s side as we support him on his rehabilitation journey. We attend the hospital frequently to find out the next steps, and we work on them together as a family.
‘All of his immediate surgeries are over for now, which means we can now focus on rehabilitation at home.’
Donations and thanks
They said the money donated so far ‘has supported us financially to cover immediate costs such as our bills and mortgage’, and ‘also allowed us to cover our loss of wages during this time’.
They said they have bought and donated new toys to the paediatric intensive care unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and to the children’s play team on the ward, who the boy was very fond of while receiving treatment. They said they had also donated to the Sick Children’s Trust charity, which helps support families whose children are long-term patients or in the paediatric intensive care unit.
His parents added that they also want to donate to the Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) to thank staff who were involved in their son’s care. In a previous update, the family said the boy had undergone seven operations.
