Family of boy, 3, thrown into crocodile enclosure issue health update after more than two months in hospital
The three-year-old boy who suffered horror injuries after ending up in a crocodile enclosure at a UK zoo has finally been released from hospital.
The youngster was the victim of a harrowing incident at Johnson's Zoo in Cambridgeshire on 18 June and has undergone a host of operations since then.
His family previously spoke out about how they were 'living at the hospital' - but now, the little boy is finally back at home.
A 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the incident at the zoo near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.
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He was later bailed as police said he was 'assessed as not being fit for interview'. The suspect in the case reportedly has learning difficulties and had been on a trip with carers, and an investigation has been launched into his care.
In an update shared on a GoFundMe page, the three-year-old's family said it was 'nice to have us all back together in the comfort of our own home' and that he was released 'a few weeks ago'.
The post explained: "We have been a little quiet recently as our son was discharged from hospital a few weeks ago. Since then we have been spending some time adjusting and settling back in at home. He is happy to be home, playing with his toys, sleeping in his own bed and being a big brother. It is nice to have us all back together in the comfort of our own home.
"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.
"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 money that has been donated so far has supported us financially to cover immediate costs such as our bills and mortgage. It has also allowed us to cover our loss of wages during this time.
"We have bought and gifted new toys to PICU and the children’s play team on the ward. He 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.
'A considerable ordeal'
"We have also donated some money to the sick children’s trust - a charity to support families whose children are long term patients or in PICU. They provide accommodation on site to house the family so that they can be by their child’s side. This charity allowed both of us to stay at the hospital whilst our son was an inpatient there.
"We are still wanting to donate to the Addenbrooke’s charitable trust (ACT) to say thank you to all the staff who were involved in our son’s care including the supply of superhero costumes to brighten up his day.
"In the best interests of our son, we are not releasing any identifying features and anticipate only updating this page further if there is something meaningful to say. But we thank each and every one of you who has shown such kindness and generosity during what has been a considerable ordeal for us all. We hope the money we have raised can continue to help us as a family and contribute towards the charities and people who have helped support us. "We hope that the donations we are making help pass on that support to others in need. Thank you from all our family."
More to follow.
Olivia Burke