A little boy who spent two years learning to walk after being hit by a car has 'got his life back'. Denis-Jack Ward, now aged six, was hit by a car in 2021 after running into the road ahead of his family.
The keen footballer suffered a horrific open fracture and the skin was scraped off his leg. Medics feared they may need to amputate his leg and were unsure if the four-year-old would be able to walk again.
He was only able to go to primary school part-time and using a walking frame - but now attends full time and unassisted. Now after several complex operations and gruelling physiotherapy, Denis-Jack is back on his feet and is looking forward to a holiday filled with football and biking.
Denis-Jack said: “My very best memory was when I stood and walked for the first time again. I had a big smile on my face and I was so happy.
“When I grow up, I want to be a superhero, but I know they don’t exist, so I’m going to have a superhero job instead!” His mum Dionne Leadbetter, 31, said: “We were crossing the road to get a slushie.
"I leaned out to see if it was safe to cross and he ran out onto the road. By the time I went to grab him, a car had already hit him.
“Denis-Jack collapsed on the ground, and I absolutely crumbled. When the ambulance arrived, they cut away his trousers and his leg swelled up to three times the size.
"We were rushed to hospital and there were 14 nurses and doctors standing around him. It was so frightening. It has been really hard for him, especially because he was such an independent, sporty child.
"A huge part of his recovery was his determination to get back to what he loved doing most. We are so grateful to all of the team at the hospital. They were all amazing. They have given my little boy his life back.”
Within the space of a month, Denis-Jack underwent four operations at the Royal Hospital for Children’s and Young People in an attempt to fix the bone and skin graft his leg. He had to spend five months in a wheelchair and went on to begin a battle that would last over the course of two years.
His dad, Darren Ward, 38, from Prestonpans, East Lothian, said “Watching him get his dressings changed was really difficult. "I hated seeing him in so much pain, but Denis-Jack has incredible mental strength and he’s the most caring, loving wee boy.
"I’m really proud of him, he’s my best pal. I’m just so thankful to everyone at the hospital – it was a really horrible time.
"If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know how I would have got through it. I can’t thank everyone enough that my little boy is still here.” Judith Montgomery, Major Trauma, Orthopaedics and Burns & Plastics Physiotherapist, NHS Lothian, has been working with Denis-Jack since the accident and managed to get him back on his feet.
She said: “Denis-Jack is an incredibly resilient boy. From the outset, it was really unclear as to whether he would be able to keep his leg and the fact that he’s now fully recovered with not even a limp is incredible.
“He will always have the scars on his leg but now they just remind him how hard he has worked towards being able to walk again. We wish and his family the best of luck with everything.”
