A boy who fell an estimated 40ft through a warehouse skylight is hoping to be back at school next week – just three weeks after his accident.
Mackenzie Cooper suffered a broken jaw, a badly broken wrist, a punctured lung and a knee fracture in the fall in Dewsbury on Saturday, May 13.
Doctors at Leeds General Infirmary said the 13-year-old was lucky to survive falling such a distance.
Mum Charlotte Butterworth posted photos of his injuries on Facebook as a warning to others not to climb onto warehouse or derelict buildings.
Following his fall Mackenzie featured on the first episode of ITV’s A&E Live which was broadcast from Leeds General Infirmary.
Mackenzie told hospital staff that he had been taking photos of the sunset and “just wanted to look at the view” when he fell.
The nurse who treated him told ITV viewers: “He is the luckiest lad in our department tonight.”
Mum Charlotte, of Cleckheaton, said Mackenzie had told her that he had climbed onto the warehouse in order to see a friend who was walking on the nearby greenway.
She said his comments about sunsets and views were made while he was high on the painkiller morphine.
“He’s not back at school just yet – we are hoping for next week. He’s doing really well and everything is healing as it should.
“He may have to have surgery on his jaw to remove the plate at a later date as he’s under 16 and still growing. It’s so it doesn’t affect the bone when it has healed.
“He would like some normality as it’s no fun being at home. He should be going back to school on Monday.”
Charlotte said that Mackenzie, a pupil at Whitcliffe Mount School, was lucky to be alive after his fall.
“By some miracle he survived the fall and his injuries could have been a lot worse.”
Last week she urged parents to show the photos of Mackenzie’s injuries to their children as a warning.
She added: “Please show these pictures (to your children) as it can happen to them. They are not invincible and you might not be as lucky as me and my child.
“The reality is I might have been planning his funeral this week.”
