Mum found severely-injured son after he was hit by car as he ran for ice cream van

UK: The mother of a four-year-old boy who was left on a life support machine after being hit by a car has told of his fight for life.

Mum Katrina Verrill has barely left her youngest son's bedside since the accident that left him on a life support machine.

Nathaniel Verrill suffered horrific head and internal injuries after being hit by a taxi on in Pallister Park, Middlesbrough, at about 5.20pm last Sunday in an accident that residents said "shook the street".

Katrina, 35, told the Gazette how, in the blink of an eye, her world was turned upside down after Nathaniel noticed an ice cream van park up on his road.

"He'd just had his tea and he kept saying he wanted an ice cream," she said, "He'd seen the ice cream van - he probably hadn't seen an ice cream van for months.

"I told him you've already had an ice cream. Then a moment later I thought, 'what's going on with that front door?'

"I don't know what happened outside - I didn't see the accident. I just ran out and I saw him laid on the floor face down. I could see that his ankle had been hurt so I picked him up and turned him around. I just sat on the floor with him and screamed.

"When he heard me scream he tried to take a breath. One of his arms came up and he looked at me - the look in his eyes - it was like he was saying, 'Mum I'm dying.'"

Within minutes, emergency services had arrived on the scene and Nathaniel was taken straight to hospital. He was put on a life support machine at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Hospital.

Katrina said: "I just can't believe the state he was in. The injuries to his head are horrific. My poor baby.

"His little body has been smashed into pieces. He has skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, two collapsed lungs, a hole in his stomach, a damaged liver and spleen and his ear was ripped - it's horrendous.

"When I saw the scar from his chest to his abdomen from where they had to operate on him, I couldn't handle that.

"I can't bear to think that my baby went through that. You can see his little eyes scrunch up in pain. He doesn't deserve it."

Nathaniel's condition was described as critical in the days following the accident.

Katrina, also mum to Carlos, 10, Lennox, eight and Rebecca Mary Morrison, 16, could only watch as her youngest little boy fought for his life.

She said: "I can't believe how strong he is. How hard it was for him to take that first breath. I don't think he would have taken it if I hadn't

have taken him up.

"But he's been through a lot. This happening to my baby makes me feel sick. I'm supposed to protect him.

"I was prepared for the worst but I've been told he is going to survive, I'm overwhelmed. The hospital staff have been absolutely amazing.

"They've been caring for him around the clock. Because of his injuries, I've been told he's going to have brain damage - it's going to be a case of taking it day by day - but he's alive."

Police are still appealing for the driver of the ice cream van to contact them as he may have valuable information on the circumstances leading up to the collision, or even have had CCTV on board which could help.