Boy, 6, thrown 100ft off Tate Modern can now eat mashed food and open one hand as he ‘keeps fighting’, family reveals
A SIX-year-old boy launched 100ft from the tenth floor of the Tate Modern by a teenager has eaten for the first time.
The little lad has been bravely battling back to recovery since the horror attack in which Jonty Bravery, 18, threw him from the building in London in August.
His parents have revealed as well as being able to eat mashed food he is also now able to open his left hand again.
The French tourist, then aged six, suffered a "deep" bleed to the brain when he was attacked at the London gallery, last August.
The French youngster, who cannot be named due to his age, was attacked by autistic teenager Bravery at the tourist attraction on August 4.
He left the youngster with a broken back, fractures to his limbs and a bleed on the brain.
His family say he is making progress and "manages to open his left hand when we ask him to do it".
They revealed the latest update in a post on a GoFundMe page.
The page has raised an eye-watering £143,500 for the boy's treatment and rehabilitation.
They said: "Hello everybody, One month has passed, and we are more and more tired.
"But our son is still in progress. He can now eat mash.
"We hope that he will be able to drink soon, with a straw to start with.
"He cannot use his left arm but he manages to open his left hand when we ask him to do it (two or three times in a row)."
'I WANTED TO BE ON THE NEWS'
In a previous GoFundMe post, the family said: "We have very good news to share with you. Our little knight begins to speak.
"He pronounces one syllable after another, not all of them, and most of the time we have to guess what he means but it's better and better. It's a wonderful progress."
Bravery admitted a charge of attempted murder earlier in December at the Old Bailey in London and will be sentenced next February.
After throwing the little lad from the building he approached a member of staff and said: "I think I've murdered someone, I've just thrown someone off the balcony."
When Bravery, from Ealing, West London, was arrested he told police he had travelled to the London gallery with the intention of hurting someone so he could be on the TV news that evening.
He said: "I wanted to be on the news, who I am and why I did it, so when it is official no-one can say anything else."
Bravery then said he heard voices tell him he had to hurt or kill people and wanted to prove a point "to every idiot" who said he didn't have mental health issues.
Appearing via video link from Broadmoor Hospital at the Old Bailey, Bravery could be seen closing his eyes and speaking under his breath during the hearing.
The victim, who was visiting the UK from France, was forced to spend two months in intensive care and left unable to speak or eat after the horror attack on August 4.
His French mum and dad dubbed their son their “little knight” as they revealed previously he could only smile to communicate.
CPS prosecutor Emma Jones said: "This devastating and shocking incident at the Tate Modern on 4 August of this year changed the lives of Bravery’s young victim and his family forever.
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"The boy was singled out by Bravery who threw him from the viewing platform intending to kill him.
"That he survived the five storey fall was extraordinary.
"Eye witness accounts and CCTV footage, along with Bravery’s admissions at the time of the arrest that his actions were pre-planned, meant he had little choice but to accept responsibility for his actions."
In the message to generous supporters, the family thanked everyone who has contributed to the fund.
