Hope for schoolboy in ‘vegetative state’ after pier jump as he speaks first word weeks after being dubbed ‘brain dead’
A SCHOOLBOY who was thought to be brain-dead has sparked new hope after speaking his first word since a devastating pier jump.
Jack Dolan, 15, from Chatham, Kent, has left doctors and his family astounded after he begins moving his arms and legs.
Just one month ago, Jack was given the bleakest of diagnoses.
Following a severe head injury from a daring flip off Stone Pier in Margate, he was flown to a London hospital where scans revealed no brain activity.
Doctors, fearing the worst, put him on end-of-life care after removing his life support.
But Jack's story took a miraculous turn. Despite the grim prognosis, he is now regaining movement and even uttered his chilling first word – “help” – while looking his mum, Lisa, in the eye.
Tragic stories
His stepfather, David Dolan told KentOnline: “Jack is blowing everything doctors said out the water.
"He is moving his arms, wiggling his toes, holding eye contact and, while in pain with belly ache, looked his mum in the eye and said ‘help’.”
In a heart-wrenching revelation, David Dolan previously described Jack’s condition as "brain dead with a heartbeat."
Yet, Jack’s relentless fight against the odds has led his family to pursue experimental treatments in the hopes of restoring more of his lost functions.
David added: “We are putting him into experimental private treatment to see how much of Jack we can get back.
"The therapy is £8,000 and the tank for hyperbaric oxygen therapy to have in the home if it shows improvement is £38,000.
"He has defied the odds and is fighting so we have to do all we can to fight for him.”
Despite severe setbacks, including heart issues, seizures, a chest infection, and even two cardiac arrests, Jack’s resilience has shone through.
He managed to overcome a life-threatening chest infection without medical intervention, even reinflating his collapsed lung.
Support from the community has been overwhelming, with over £28,000 raised by more than 1,000 contributors on their JustGiving page.
Jack’s mother, an NHS worker, will be leaving her job to care for him full-time.
Swimming safety advice
Experts have revealed some of their top advice for both adults and kids heading to the water this summer:
How to stay safe at the beach
Gareth Morrison, Head of Water Safety at the RNLI said: "If you find yourself being swept out to sea in a rip, try to relax and float until you are free from the rip and you can then swim to safety.
"If you see someone else in danger, alert a lifeguard or call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard."
How to stay safe at the swimming pool
Tiny Hearts Education, former paramedic and CEO Nikki Jurcutz said: "Always put your little one in bright or contrasting colours that would be easy to find in an emergency.
"It only takes 20 seconds to drown, little tips like this could save a life".
An Auqabliss spokesperson added: “Swimming toys such as noodles, dive rings, floaties and beach balls can be dangerous if left in the pool.
“Children may try to grab these from the pool’s edge and fall in."
How to stay safe at a waterpark
Ali Beckman, Puddle Ducks Technical Director, said: "Never send a child down the slide on their own, not only are they going to be entering the slide pool area independently, they then have to exit the pool and wait for an adult.
"And wave pools should be avoided until your child is really confident with water going over their faces and you know they are able to regain their feet independently.
“Waterparks are often very busy places and it’s easy to lose sight of a child in a split second."
The family is also in need of a specially adapted home, which Medway Council is urgently arranging.
The Howard School in Rainham, where Jack was a beloved student, paid tribute to him.
The school said: “Jack is a very popular student with a larger-than-life personality and we were shocked and saddened when we heard the news about the tragic incident that happened.”
Jack’s journey is far from over, and his family remains hopeful.
As they prepare for the next stages of his treatment, they are heartened by the support and the small victories that continue to emerge from what seemed an insurmountable situation.
Meanwhile, Jack's devastating story is a stark reminder of the dangers near water.
As his family fights for every glimmer of hope, another tragedy is unfolding, further underscoring the critical need for caution.
Worries are intensifying for a teenage boy who was last spotted swimming in a reservoir.
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Emergency services were deployed to Lodge Farm Reservoir, near Dudley in the West Midlands, just after 6pm yesterday.
The search operation has been ongoing overnight as authorities work tirelessly to locate the missing teen.
