Mum's plea for 'uncool' item after son's horrific injury

The mum of a boy who ended up in hospital after a scary fall from his bicycle has issued a warning to other parents over an item kids typically regard as “uncool”.

She endured a “parent’s worst nightmare” on Friday when a lady called to say her 12-year-old son had been in an accident and was suspected to have sustained a head injury and broken bones.

The boy had been riding with a friend in the Macarthur region, southwest of Sydney, when he hit a road island at speed and “went flying” over the handlebars, his bike landing on top of him.

His friend pulled the bike from him and helped him to his feet, but he was “very sore and he had big wounds on his knee, shoulder and hip, and some blood and scratches on his face”, his mum said.

“They called out for help and found the lovely lady nearby who consoled my son and called my husband and an ambulance,” the boy’s mum told Yahoo News Australia.

“Due to the heavy fall and blood on his face they suspected he had head injuries, but he was cleared at the hospital and had a cast put on his arm for a buckle fracture.”

The ordeal came as a “big shock” for the boy who, according to his mum, was “very glad to be wearing a helmet” at the time of his crash.

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Accident shows the importance of bike helmets

He was discharged after six hours in hospital, having since “bounced back” and returned to his normal self, even working out how to use a gaming controller with one arm.

His mum has implored parents to force their kids to wear a helmet, even if they thought it was “uncool” as it could be the difference between them being killed or surviving an accident.

“Don’t let them leave the house without one,” she said.

“My son’s accident really shows how important helmets are to protect your head.”

In a post to Facebook, she highlighted that “kids may think they are daggy or uncool, but it’s better than to lose them from a simple accident”.

Nearly 200 people commented praising the fact the boy had been wearing his helmet at the time of the accident, and encouraging other parents to take the same hard line approach.

“Glad he was smart enough to wear a helmet. Wishing him a speedy recovery,” one wrote.

“Glad he is okay! I completely agree about the helmet! It really does save lives! Better to be safe than sorry,” another said.

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