A three-year-old boy who suffered severe injuries in a crocodile enclosure at a Cambridgeshire zoo has been released from hospital and is settling back into family life, according to his loved ones.
The toddler returned home "a few weeks ago" and is "happy to be home, playing with his toys, sleeping in his own bed and being a big brother", his parents announced in an online update.
Incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst
Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, previously stated on social media that it was "alerted to reports that a child had allegedly been thrown into one of our crocodile enclosures" on June 18.
A 30-year-old Norfolk man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the incident, and was subsequently bailed after police confirmed he was "assessed as not being fit for interview". The suspect reportedly has learning difficulties and had been on an outing with carers at the time, prompting an investigation into his care arrangements.
Family Update and Fundraising
In a GoFundMe update shared on Monday, the youngster's family expressed that it was "nice to have us all back together in the comfort of our own home". The fundraising page, established to provide the family with financial assistance and aid the boy's recuperation, has accumulated more than £113,000 to date.
"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 wrote in their GoFundMe update. "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 with for now, which means we can now focus on rehabilitation at home."
The couple revealed that funds raised thus far "has supported us financially to cover immediate costs such as our bills and mortgage", while "also allowed us to cover our loss of wages during this time".
Donations to Hospital and Charity
They explained they've purchased and gifted new playthings to the paediatric intensive care unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and to the children's play team on the ward. The youngster was "very fond of the play team" and "they helped him be a little three-year-old boy by inventing new games and teaching him new ways to use his feet in play", his mum and dad shared.
They disclosed they'd also made a contribution to the Sick Children's Trust charity, which assists families whose youngsters are long-term patients or in the paediatric intensive care unit. They added they wish to donate to the Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust (ACT) to express gratitude to staff involved in their son's care "including the supply of superhero costumes to brighten up his day".
They expressed appreciation to everyone who has "shown such kindness and generosity during what has been a considerable ordeal for us all". In an earlier statement, the family confirmed the lad had undergone seven operations.
