Thetford boy returns to football 15 weeks after stroke

Austin, 13, was playing in goal when he began to feel ill - and was later diagnosed with having a stroke

A boy who had a stroke after playing football has returned to the pitch less than four months later.

Austin, 13, from Thetford in Norfolk, was playing in goal on 21 May, when he became unwell, and later collapsed.

He was diagnosed with a stroke at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and was paralysed down one side, meaning he needed to learn to walk again.

His father Paul Dale said Austin had done "amazingly well" and everyone was "proud" to see him back on the pitch.

A spokesperson for Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Addenbrooke's, said Austin "desperately needed physical healthcare support, but the rehabilitation and impact of the stroke also had a huge effect on [his] mental health".

The teenager, who plays for Thetford Bulldogs, received about 300 cards from all over the country and video messages of support from footballers and Premier League stars including England's James Maddison, Norwich City goalkeeper Angus Gunn, and TV presenter and actor Danny Dyer, to help boost his mental health and physical recovery, they said.

Austin was treated at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge

The trust has plans in place to build the Cambridge Children's Hospital on the Biomedical Campus next to the Addenbrooke's, Royal Papworth and Rosie hospitals.

The NHS trust bills it as a "world first" that would bring mental and physical health services together under one roof.

It would care for children and young people from Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, as well as Cambridgeshire.

The projected cost is about £409m.

Cambridge Children's Hospital plans to bring children's mental and physical health services under one roof

Austin's father, Mr Dale, has shown his support for the new facility, saying: "Having a dedicated children's hospital that will support a child's mental health in the recovery, as well as their physical injuries, is desperately needed."

Austin plays in goal at his local club, Thetford Bulldogs

The hospital, despite not yet being built, already has experts in place to assist with the proposals, a trust spokeswoman said.

Dr Isobel Heyman, clinical co-lead for mental health with the children's hospital team, said: "A lot of people don't realise a child can have a stroke, but around 400 children a year in the UK do have a stroke.

"Treating children holistically in [the hospital] is a whole new way.

"Physically, we will have children's mental health wards, next to paediatric wards. But we will also have beds where either type of patient can be accommodated, which is so important for reducing stigma."