Sheffield teenager continues recovery after cycling accident left him with no feeling in foot

If you’d have visited Sheffield Children’s in April 2026, you might have heard the bright tones of an electric guitar drifting through the corridors of our wards.

Searching for the source of the music, you’d have eventually found 15-year-old Oscar, who first visited Sheffield Children’s through our Emergency Department after experiencing a serious leg injury caused by falling off his bike. After two operations, and specialist support from teams at Sheffield Children’s, Oscar is ready to continue his recovery journey, gearing up for Year 11 at Stocksbridge High School.

Oscar said: “Everybody who we have seen at Sheffield Children’s has been amazing. From the nurses who supported me with pain medication during the night, to the Physio team who are helping me to get back on my feet, I can’t thank them enough.”

Emergency care at Sheffield Children’s

In April 2026, Oscar and a group of his friends visited the local woods on their bikes. After coming across a ramp, the group decided to try it out. However, Oscar had second thoughts before his jump, leading to a fall that caused a severe tibia fracture, a broken bone in Oscar’s shin.

Oscar said: “My friends were great. They blocked off the path to alert oncoming cyclists and looked after me until the ambulance arrived. It was originally going to be a helicopter that picked me up, but mountain rescue responders thought it would be easier to get me down to the car park.”

Following his injury, Oscar was quickly transported by ambulance to the Emergency Department at Sheffield Children’s Hospital- the only children’s Major Trauma Centre for South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

Lucy, Oscar’s mum, said: “Oscar was drifting in and out at this point, so can’t remember too much. I just remember thinking that everybody was very calm, which wasn’t what I expected. They explained everything really well, and they really put my mind at ease. They were really compassionate with us, which was really helpful as it had been a very long day.”

Whilst in the Emergency Department, doctors noticed that Oscar’s foot was looking pale, so after review, it was decided that Oscar was to be taken for his first surgery that same day. His affected leg was fitted with a frame, which helps to control the fractured bone and facilitate repair.

Mr Sam Weston-Simons, Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon at Sheffield Children’s, has overseen Oscar’s care. He said: “Because of the severity of the break, the small fragments of bone resulting from it, we had to do some adjustments to the initial frame, replacing it with it a more specialist frame.  When Oscar first arrived, he had no pulse below the injury to his leg. Now, he’s working with our Physiotherapy and Occupational therapy teams and will be up and ready again in no time.”

“Oscar has been great, really positive and motivated. He’s done really, really well. It is great to see him recovering so well!”

Oscar added: “Mr Weston-Simons has been amazing. His whole manner, he just put you at ease. He explained everything so well, especially all of the technical stuff. He was so helpful.”

Following his operation, Oscar stayed at Sheffield Children’s for a further three days. After returning home for an extended bed-rest period, he returned to Sheffield Children’s for a second operation, which led to another weekend stay at the hospital. During this time, his positive attitude kept him going.

Oscar said: “Keeping a positive outlook has really helped me whilst in hospital. I just want to make sure that I do everything I can to get better. Listening to the physios and occupational therapists and trying to support myself has been important during my recovery.”

Keeping up with schoolwork

Oscar’s initial recovery period lasted six weeks, during which he missed four weeks of school in the lead-up to his GCSE mock exams. However, thanks to the support of his school and Kingfisher Academy, our dedicated hospital school, Oscar was able to continue his studies during his recovery period and was even able to play his electric guitar whilst staying on the wards at Sheffield Children’s.

Oscar said: “I actually had an English lesson whilst I was in hospital, where we studied ‘An Inspector Calls’. My class had just started it when I got back to school, so I felt like I was ahead of the game! I also had a music lesson where I was able to play my guitar, which was really welcome whilst I was in hospital. I had an x-ray the same day, and when I had to leave, I realised that all of the nurses had gathered outside to listen – which was cool.”

When he isn’t studying for his mock exams, or playing his guitar, Oscar will often find himself out on his bike, with his friends. Following his injury, Oscar is sure that he’ll find himself on his bike again.

“Cycling was everything. I’ll definitely ride my bike again – just going to take a while! I just want to be in the woods again with my mates!”

Every day, babies, children and young people arrive at Sheffield Children’s Hospital Emergency Department for life-saving care, either through the front door, or by a £6m helipad which opened in 2024 to support rapid access to emergency care. While teams provide life-saving treatment, the environment no longer meets growing and increasingly complex demand. 

The current Emergency Department, built in 1977 for 24,000 patients, now treats 62,000 a year. With your support, funds raised through the Pride of Yorkshire trail will help Sheffield Children’s create a calmer, more welcoming Emergency Department that matches the outstanding care provided for generations to come.