Teenage crash victim to run 5k for charity
Liam Denton suffered a brain injury and a broken leg at the age of eight in 2021 when he was hit by a car outside his home in Aston.
As part of his recovery, Liam joined a boxing fitness programme called Boxwave, and he will be accompanied by members of that scheme at Weston Park on 29 May to complete his run in aid of Sheffield's Children's Hospital Charity.
Liam's mum, Rebekah Frost, praised Boxwave for helping her son, who is now 13, to get better: "They're just amazing. They've given him something he can look forward to."
However, Ms Frost said Liam's long journey from the day of the crash in 2021 to planning a 5k run in 2025 had not been an easy one.
She said that after the hit-and-run collision, hospital staff told her he might not even survive.
"They told us he might not make it. It was just a horrible night," she explained.
"They said if he did wake up, he might not be the same little boy."
Meanwhile, South Yorkshire Police later said there was not enough evidence to prosecute the driver of the vehicle believed to have been involved in the crash.
Ms Frost said since then, Liam had received psychiatric support and physiotherapy.
But she added that said her son still suffered trauma from the incident and struggled with everyday tasks.
"Some days we have outbursts of anger. He struggles to sleep at night," she said.
"He doesn't venture out on his own anymore - he used to be a proper daredevil."
Liam also continues to find communication difficult due to the brain injury and he has been diagnosed with ADHD and dyspraxia.
Ms Frost said that at one point Liam had become overweight and depressed and it was then that she discovered Boxwave, run by brothers Harry and Joe Freeman.
The pair offered Liam free fitness classes and a diet plan, and he managed to lose over a stone (6kg) in five weeks, she said.
Harry Freeman explained that despite being based in Stratford-upon-Avon, he and his brother had a "special connection" with Sheffield.
"We've spent a lot of time at the boxing clubs there," Mr Freeman said.
"When we found out what happened to Liam we wanted to help."
Mr Freeman said he and his brother both agreed that Liam had "done amazingly".
Ms Frost said taking part in the fitness programme had left Liam much more "happy, confident" - so much so that he could now plan his 5k fundraising run on Thursday.
Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
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