A 16-year-old cyclist who spent four months in a coma after refusing to wear a helmet has woken and hugged his father. Ryan Smith, from Chapel St Leonard's, Lincolnshire, opened his eyes and spoke for the first time since July, saying 'Hello dad... hello mum'.
Ryan was hit by a van in July while cycling without a helmet because he did not want to spoil his hairstyle. He suffered a serious head injury and remained unconscious until last week. His father Mark, a paramedic, had been at his bedside every day, releasing a poignant photo of him cradling his son to warn others about the dangers of not wearing a helmet.
Mark described the moment Ryan woke as 'the best hug I've ever had'. Ryan now has movement on his right side, good vision and hearing, and will undergo six months of rehabilitation at The Children's Trust in Tadworth, Surrey. His family is campaigning for a law to make cycle helmets compulsory.
