In 2019, a tragedy shook London. A six-year-old French boy, visiting the Tate Modern museum with his family, was thrown from the 10th floor by a 17-year-old teenager. The child had landed on the roof of the fifth floor, seriously injured.
Transported in critical condition, he suffered multiple fractures to his spine, legs and arm, as well as a cerebral hemorrhage. His chances of survival were slim. And yet… Six years later, the improbable happened: he walked, swam and played again. His family, moved, speaks of a “incredible progress“.
“He can’t do like other children his age, of course (…) but it’s an incredible achievement. We are happy that he was able to reach this stage of progress before his next operation.” entrusted his parents to Guardianadding that the young man still needs to undergo surgery to improve his mobility.
An unusual fall, which could have been fatal
Dr Gérald Kierzek first points out that the chances of survival after a fall of more than five floors are extremely low. “But the impossible can happen, proof here” estimates our expert.
How to explain child survival? Certain factors can favor the occurrence of a “miracle”, according to the doctor. “Survival, although extremely unlikely, can be explained by a combination of mitigating factors: a progressive slowing of the fall, a softer landing surface and the particular physiology of the child.
Firstly, if the child hit several structures before falling, this could have slowed his fall.
Moreover, “landing on a soft surface like a canvas, a bush or even a car can absorb some of the energy of the impact“, explains the doctor.
Finally, his age also played a determining role. “The body of a six-year-old child is more flexible and lighter than that of an adult. His bones fracture rather than break outright, and his joints absorb shock better.”
Multiple injuries, a life-threatening prognosis
According to Dr Gérald Kierzek, despite this slowdown, the consequences of such a fall are extremely serious. “Head trauma is almost certain, with multiple skull fractures, often with depression, brain contusions and often intracranial hemorrhages.
Of the “coup-contrecoup type brain contusions“, that is to say a lesion at the site of the shock and another, opposite, caused by the displacement of the brain in the cranium, are also common.
These lesions lead to an increase in intracranial pressure, sometimes a prolonged coma. “The child also had spinal cord trauma, with vertebral fractures and spinal cord injuries, compromising his motor skills.“Indeed, vertebral fractures or dislocations can compress or cut the cord, interrupting the transmission of nerve signals.
The consequences are serious: quadriplegia or paraplegia depending on the height of the lesion, loss of sensitivity, sphincter disorders, even breathing difficulties. Added to this are multiple fractures of the limbs, pelvis and thorax, with risk of internal bleeding.
“Such a patient is cared for in intensive care for several weeks, sometimes in an artificial coma, with extremely complex surgical, neurological and orthopedic follow-up.“, underlines the doctor.
Reconstruction, an everyday fight
Now aged twelve, the boy continues his rehabilitation. His memory remains fragile, but is progressing. This summer, he was able to go to a colony in the mountains and “playing French teacher” with non-French-speaking children, his parents also reported.
Dr Kierzek underlines the exceptional nature of such a development: “A child surviving such a fall is a medical miracle. But his future life will remain marked by profound physical and neurological after-effects.”
According to him, the exceptional journey he has gone through is based on several pillars. “Rapid hospital treatment, constant care, intensive rehabilitation and family support”, lists our expert.
Finally, a fund set up at the time of the accident made it possible to raise more than 500,000 euros to finance his care and subsequent rehabilitation.
Even today, he is progressing step by step, carried by the patience and love of his family.