AN 11-YEAR-OLD St Joseph boy is now recovering at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and a 15-year-old schoolmate has reportedly been charged following a stone-throwing incident outside a school exactly one week ago.
According to the hospitalized boy’s sister, he was struck on the left side of the head as he was about to board a bus to go home.
He reportedly suffered a life-threatening injury and memory loss lasting two days and was “really out of it” as a result. During that time he could not remember his parents, other family members, his birthday or anything else.
In what she described as a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, she said her brother was caught in a fight path and was struck by a rock meant for one of the two students involved. The fighters were from the same school.
Reports indicated that the first form student was treated for a broken skull.
He had to undergo surgery last Monday to remove a piece of rock that was lodged inside his skull and clear the remaining debris, his sister said.
She said he suffered a further setback because he was given medication that caused an adverse reaction and made him throw up repeatedly.
While the youngster’s bed was still located next to the nurse’s station so he can be closely monitored, his sister said he was lucid, talking and eating from last Tuesday.
“He is still in a lot of pain, but he is coming around. The doctor said we have to wait and see if his school work suffers,” she said.
Police public relations officer Inspector David Welch confirmed that they were investigating a rock-throwing incident.
The WEEKEND NATION was unable to get a comment from Acting Chief Education Officer Laurie King and the principal of the school.
King was reportedly out of office all day yesterday, and the principal was at lunch on one occasion and had left for a meeting at the Ministry of Education on the other.
(YB)