A brave Scottish schoolboy has overcome two years of gruelling rehabilitation and five months in a wheelchair to learn to walk again after being struck by a car. Denis-Jack Ward now has an action-packed summer holiday ahead of him after he was involved in the accident which caused horrific injuries to his leg.
The six-year-old suffered an open fracture to his leg when he was hit by the motor in front of his horrified family in 2021. He had to have skin from his knee to ankle removed in the accident, with his family warned he may never walk again.
After a series of operations and a challenging physiotherapy regime, the East Lothian youngster is back on his feet, playing football and riding his bike. His mum, Dionne Leadbetter told the Scottish Daily Express: “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.”
Denis-Jack was just four when the horror accident happened. Dionne, from Tranent, explained: “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.”
Denis-Jack underwent four operations in a month at the Royal Hospital for Children’s and Young People to fix the bone and skin graft his leg. He spent five months in a wheelchair as part of his two-year battle.
"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.”
Denis-Jack underwent four operations in a month at the Royal Hospital for Children’s and Young People to fix the bone and skin graft his leg. He spent five months in a wheelchair as part of a two-year battle.
He bravely started primary school, having to use a walking frame and attend part-time to begin with. The determined lad is now at school full-time and walking completely unaided.
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!”
Dionne added: “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. “
Denis-Jack's dad, Darren Ward, 38, from Prestonpans, 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 and 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, a physiotherapist who works in major trauma, orthopaedics and burns & plastics for 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.”
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