These shocking pictures show just why youngsters should always wear a helmet while riding a bike.
Leon Noakes, 14, went over the handlebars and into a wall as he braked too sharply on a steep downhill bend in Mirfield.
Leon – who refused to wear a helmet because it wasn’t “cool” – was catapulted off his bike and was lucky not to have been more seriously hurt.
As it was the teenager will be left scarred for life after suffering horrific facial injuries.
Leon suffered deep wounds to his face, forehead and chin and a fractured cheekbone and upper jaw.
He almost lost his left eye as the eyelid was ripped and he was just millimetres from losing his sight.
After the smash in Hopton Lane around 3pm on Tuesday, Leon was rushed to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield where he underwent three hours of surgery.
In all he had 48 stitches in his face and needed an operation to save his front teeth.
Now Leon’s mum Rhian Haigh, 34, wants to thank the passers-by who came to her son’s aid – and show the pictures as a warning to other youngsters and their parents.
“He is so lucky really,” said Rhian, a mum-of-five from Dewsbury Moor. “His injuries could have been so much worse.”
Leon got the bike for Christmas and Rhian had been worried for her son. He and his friends refused to wear helmets when they went out on their bikes.
“They won’t wear helmets and I was worried about it but I thought I was being over-protective,” she said. “I thought it’s better he’s out on his bike than shut in his bedroom.
“Then I got a call from someone who asked if I was Leon’s mum and had to dash to the hospital.”
Leon was out with four friends when the accident happened. Neighbours and passers-by rushed to help and called the emergency services. One woman waited with Leon until the ambulance arrived.
Rhian has tracked them down through Facebook and wants to thank them for what they did.
“When I got the call I was panicky and felt stupid,” she said. “All I was asking about was the bike but what I wanted to ask about was how badly hurt he was but I didn’t want to hear the answer.”
Leon spent a night in hospital and is now recovering at home. He has nerve damage to his face which could also have lasting effects.
Rhian urged other parents to ensure their children wore helmets and said: “It’s just not worth it.”
