A three-year-old boy who was seriously injured in a crocodile enclosure at a zoo in Cambridgeshire has undergone seven operations and is now “smiling again”, according to his family. The incident occurred on June 18 at Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, where a 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The suspect, who reportedly has learning difficulties and was on a trip with carers, was later bailed after being assessed as unfit for interview.
Family Shares Update on Fundraising Page
In an update on a GoFundMe page on Wednesday, the boy’s family expressed gratitude for the support and described his progress. “Today our son had his seventh surgery,” they wrote. “In that surgery the surgeons completed a nerve graft on his left arm. They harvested a nerve from his leg to replace part of the nerve that was missing in his left arm. Over time, this nerve will hopefully embed and help our son to regain some function in his left hand. We won’t know whether the nerve graft has been successful until tests can be carried out in a few months’ time.”
The family, who remain at their son’s side in a Cambridge hospital, recounted the harrowing moments after the incident. “Shortly after we arrived, our son underwent a 12-hour surgery where the surgeons performed miraculous things. They were faced with tendon damage, nerve damage, blood vessel damage, broken bones and severe tissue damage in both his arms, neck, head and face. Those were the worst 12 hours of our lives as before that we were signing consent forms involving resuscitation and amputation. We were unsure if our son was going to make it and that was the worst feeling in the world.”
Recovery and Future Challenges
Four weeks later, the family reports that the boy is “talking to the nurses, playing using his feet and smiling again. We are amazed at how far he has come.” They added, “We are not at the end of our journey but hopeful the most recent operation will be the last for now which means if everything goes well we will be able to go home soon.”
Once home, the family expects new challenges related to his physical and psychological recovery. “Both of us are taking time off work temporarily to support our son during his rehabilitation. We don’t know what recovery and rehabilitation looks like at this moment in time but we know our son needs us more than ever.” The fundraising campaign has raised more than £68,000 to date.
