A 15-year-old boy left severely brain damaged after doing a flip off a seaside pier has shown improvement in a video that shows him following his mother with his eyes.
Jack Dolan has also started to wiggle his toes, move his arms and last week looked at his mother Lisa, before saying ‘help’.
The teenager also smiled when his dog Chewbacca jumped onto his hospital bed.
The heartbreaking footage, released by his family, show how Jack has recovered some function, despite doctors thinking most of his brain was destroyed.
He can now follow sounds and movement and is believed to be in what is known as a Minimally Conscious State – a condition distinct from a coma or vegetative state in that the person affected shows some awareness and can often respond to simple commands.
People in a Minimally Conscious State do tend to improve, but the extent of their recovery is often limited.
According to the brain injury charity Headway, there is some hope for those with the condition.
Its website says: ‘Vegetative states, minimally conscious states and locked-in syndrome are thankfully relatively rare.
‘These conditions are not fully understood and accurate diagnosis can sometimes be difficult.
‘For example, some people who have been thought to be in a vegetative state have subsequently been shown to possess some awareness.
‘However, that does not mean that everyone does. Although most families cling to the idea that there is some awareness, lack of awareness could be preferable for a time.
‘There is often hope of improvement in the future.’
Jack’s step-father Dave Dolan, who has raised him since he was small, said that Jack will make the journey from Demelza hospice in Sittingbourne, Kent to King’s College Hospital London on Monday, where he will be reassessed.
Jack Dolan (pictured) was left with severe brain damage after he did a flip off a pier in Margate, Kent
Jack Dolan (pictured) has started to show improvement: following his mother with his eyes, wiggling his toes, moving his arms and even saying ‘help’
Heartbreaking footage released by his family showed 15-year-old Jack Dolan (pictured) showing some awareness of his surroundings, leading doctors to believe he is in a Minimally Conscious State
Jack Dolan, 15, had been on his first trip to the beach without his parents when the accident happened (Pictured: Jack Dolan before the accident)
The family hope that intensive rehab may help him recover further.
Dave, 35, of Rainham in Kent, said of the videos of Jack following things with his eyes: ‘Despite doctors saying he was brain dead and wouldn’t be able to do a whole list of things, this just proves Jack leads the way, not them.’
Jack was initially left in a vegetative state after he did a flip off a pier on his first trip to the beach without his parents.
The teen was showing off in front of his friends on Sunday, June 23 and threw himself off Stone Pier in Margate, Kent, landing head first on the water.
Jack, a pupil at the Howard School in Medway, was with four or five friends and his girlfriend on the day.
His parents had never let him go to the beach without them before as he has ADHD and was known to act before thinking.
He was knocked out as he landed on the water and initially floated face down.
His friends initially thought he was joking as they could see air bubbles coming from his mouth.
Jack Dolan smiled when his dog Chewbacca jumped on his bed (pictured)
Jack Dolan (pictured) is being transferred from Demelza hospice in Sittingbourne, Kent to King’s College Hospital London on Monday, where he will be reassessed
Jack Dolan (pictured with his mother Lisa) suffered his injuries after landing head-first during a flip into the ocean
Initial MRI scans showed severe damage to almost all of Jack’s brain, but doctors were amazed when they withdrew his life support and he began breathing by himself
Terrifyingly, Jack then sank and was underwater for around eight minutes before he was rescued by a kayaker who dived down to get him.
Jack had performed the flip dozens of times before, most recently on holiday in Egypt in September, where video footage shows him laughing and throwing himself off the side of a jetty.
His step-father Dave said he was proud of Jack’s friends for their actions following the horrifying accident.
One rang 999, while his girlfriend immediately contacted Jack’s mum, who rushed to the popular beach resort.
The teen was treated by paramedics before being taken to King’s College Hospital by air ambulance.
Initial MRI scans showed severe damage to almost all of his brain.
However, when doctors withdrew his life support, amazingly the youngster astounded them by breathing for himself, showing that at least his brain stem, which controls breathing, was working.
As the weeks have passed, Jack has become more aware and has also moved more, but it is unlikely he will recover and will need round-the-clock care as a bare minimum.
Just a week ago, Jack was taken to the Demelza hospice in Kent after his prognosis looked grim following an infection and collapsed lung.
Jack’s improvement has come as a surprise after he was taken to a hospice last week following an infection and a collapsed lung
Jack got better after falling ill and and even managed to reinflate his own lung
Jack (pictured here with his mother Lisa) has two sisters: Faith, 11, and Grace, eight.
However, he recovered and even managed to reinflate his own lung, with those who witnessed his recovery amazed by how strong his body is.
The family – including Jack’s sisters Faith, 11, and Grace, eight – have been living at Demelza since then.
Dave and Jack’s mum Lisa, 33, are desperately fundraising to help equip their home so Jack can return for good.
Their current maisonette is far too small to hold the teen and all the equipment he will need.
They have been given a new house by Medway Council and hope to move in in six weeks, with local builders and other companies offering help.
It is also hoped Jack can have oxygen therapy, which has improved the lives of some traumatic brain injury sufferers.
A company has now offered an oxygen tank at cost – £25,000 – to help the family out.
Their JustGiving page now stands at an incredible £35,620, almost 90% of their £40,000 target.
Jack had successfully the flip dozens of times before, most recently on holiday in Egypt in September (pictured)
Video footage of that Egypt holiday shows him laughing and throwing himself off the side of a jetty (pictured)
The eerie video and pictures show Jack performing the very flip that caused him his injury just months later
While he managed to land successfully in the video from Egypt, in Kent he landed on his head and was knocked out
Jack (pictured here on holiday in Egypt) had been showing off to his friends and girlfriend while on a seaside trip in Margate
Dave, 35, who brought Jack up as his own, said initially that the teen was in a ‘grey area’ where experts don’t know how long he will stay alive, saying it could be weeks or years.
Describing his condition earlier this month, Dave said: ‘He’s off life support and breathing, but doing nothing else.
‘His eyes flutter sometimes but he’s asleep most of the time.’
To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/HelpJacksFamily
