A 10-YEAR-OLD boy who suffered a brain haemorrhage, leading to him having to relearn how to walk and talk, is proud to show off his scar after taking inspiration from Saints' Jonny Lomax.
Joey Tildesley-Devine, a Queen's Park Primary pupil, walked into class on November 16 2018, and lost his ability to talk and use his right arm.
Scans at Whiston Hospital revealed that Joey had AVM, arteriovenous malformation, a tangle of abnormal blood vessels that have a higher rate of bleeding than normal vessels.
He was rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital and had emergency brain surgery to remove the blood vessels.
Since then his family has documented his recovery journey on Instagram, which included his first hair cut, showing off his big scar on his head and finishing primary school alongside his peers.
Talking about this, his "extremely proud" mum Karen, 40, said: "It's just so heartwarming to see how many people think about Joey even seven or so months after it happened.
"He has started to accept that he is the same little boy as before, but he's got something a bit extra now too.
"It was a big thing to get his hair cut, he hadn't had it cut since 'that day' because getting it cut would show off his scar where the surgeons had to operate to take out the blood vessels.
"But after watching Avenger's End Game and seeing Thor's hair he liked that style, and then being a Saints' fan for him to see that Jonny Lomax had a similar scar to him on his head he just said 'look mum he has a scar just like me'.
Jonny Lomax suffered a head injury as a teenager
"I think seeing how he was not ashamed of it made him realise that he shouldn't worry either and that it is just a part of who he is."
Jonny Lomax has the scar on his head after suffering a bleed on the brain in 2005 following an accidental clash of heads while playing for Rainford High as a 14-year-old.
Karen added: "It means a lot to have people show their scars off like that and also do well, it shows Joey that he should be very proud of how far he has come.
"He's only a little boy, but what he has been through has made him stronger, and the scar is something to be proud of, just like all his other achievements."
Joey has relearned how to walk and talk and is currently working on building his movement back in his right arm and hand – and this week started being able to move his little finger.
He also recently finished primary school with his peers and will be attending Cowley in September.
For more on Joey and to follow his progress, follow @joeythe_legend on Instagram.
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