Boy thrown from Tate Modern using wheelchair a lot less, family says

The boy was thrown from the Tate Modern in August 2019

A boy thrown from the 10th floor of the Tate Modern art gallery is mostly out of his wheelchair, his family has revealed.

The French youngster was six when he was badly hurt in an attack by teenager Jonty Bravery four years ago.

The child, who was on holiday with his parents at the time in August 2019, survived a 100ft (30m) fall but suffered life-changing injuries.

These included a bleed on the brain and broken bones.

His family, who call him notre petit chevalier - our little knight - said, in an update posted on a GoFundMe page, their house was being adapted for his "precarious" walking.

The page, dedicated to the child's recovery, has raised more than 400,000 euros (£343,000).

The boy, who spent months in intensive care, has also developed a passion for green issues.

His family said: "He reinvests what he learned this year at school, in particular to protect the planet: he does not forget to remind us to turn off the lights, to save water and collect all the trash he finds on the beach or in the forest.

"Our son is now able to bend down, squat, grab his toys and clothes with both hands from his closet without falling or dropping them.

"More importantly, he now only uses his wheelchair for long outings."

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They said, during a summer spent in the mountains, he had enjoyed walking with his cane, and although he "falls a lot", this happens much less than last year.

He has been able to visit an indoor adventure park with an adapted high-rope course, which his family says he loves and where instructors take turns to accompany him.

The child is preparing for the new school year, and will now attend each morning with group care and rehabilitation in the afternoons.

His memory is progressing, and he has been able to try watching movies with his family, which was previously too exhausting.

Autistic teenager Bravery was in supported accommodation at the time of the attack but allowed out unsupervised.

He intended to select and kill someone, a court was later told.

Bravery, who was 17 at the time, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was jailed in 2020 for at least 15 years.

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