Bobby the Brave celebrated the five-year anniversary of his ‘survival day’
A little boy dubbed ‘Bobby the Brave’ after he lived through horrific abuse at the hands of his uncle as a newborn has celebrated the five-year anniversary of his ‘survivor day’.
Bobby Webber was only seven months old when his uncle, Andrew Nolan, subjected him to four hours of abuse in his Central Coast home in 2014.
The trauma resulted in irreversible brain damage and a slew of physical injuries.
His parents Elise and Barry were on their honeymoon at the time. They returned to doctors telling them their only son stood little chance of survival.
Following doctors recommendations, Bobby’s devastated parents Christened him and turned off his life support.
Against all odds, Bobby kept breathing.
On the five year anniversary of his survival day, Mrs Webber has celebrated all that her son has achieved in his short life.
‘Five years ago today, we learned that evil does exist,’ she said.
‘He may have taken from you the life that we envisioned for you but he could never rob you of your determination and fight Bobby.’
On the five year anniversary of his survival day, Mrs Webber has celebrated all that her son has achieved in his short life (pictured together)
Bobby Webber suffered severe brain damage after the seven-month-old was tortured by his uncle Andrew Nolan at his Central Coast home in NSW in September 2014
Bobby’s injuries at the time were extensive.
He endured multiple skull fractures from blunt force trauma, blood pooling in his eye from being shaken so violently, fractured vertebrae, bruised genitalia and bite marks on his body.
Bobby’s primary injuries are still the same – he was left with a traumatic brain injury and quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
Bobby is thriving and competes with an all abilities cheerleading team (pictured)
He has cortical vision impairment, but isn’t blind despite initial reports suggesting otherwise, Mrs Webber previously told Daily Mail Australia.
He lost vision completely in one eye, but can still see from his other eye, and enjoys Barney and The Wiggles.
In spite of all the trauma, Bobby continues to make progress in leaps and bounds.
So much so, that Mrs Webber refers to her son as ‘our miracle boy.’
‘You’re in remission from epilepsy, you’re no longer palliative and you literally took what happened to you and the prospective outcome and changed its direction,’ she said in a touching tribute to Bobby.
‘You didn’t want that to be the end and Bobby, we are eternally grateful for that.’
Mr and Mrs Webber recently decided Bobby had progressed so far that they would enroll him in kindergarten
Four years on from the tragic incident in which Bobby Webber’s parents were faced with the worst decision of their lives, the little boy continues to defy doctors beliefs
Mr and Mrs Webber recently decided Bobby had progressed so far that they would enrol him in kindergarten.
After Bobby was attacked, Mrs Webber mourned the loss of the regular experiences she and Bobby would never get to experience together.
One of those experiences was the process of starting ‘big school.’ She said trying on the uniforms, the school shoes and that first day were memories she cherished with her older daughter, Olivia.
Through Bobby’s progress and determination, those dreams became a reality, and just weeks ago she was able to see Bobby off for his first day of classes.
‘So here is to you.. Happy survivor day Bobby. We love you more than life itself,’ Mrs Webber said.
Bobby spent two months in hospital suffering multiple seizures and being fed by a tube as he made steady progress despite his injuries
Bobby suffered such severe injuries that his parents, Elise and Barry, made the heartbreaking decision to switch off his life support. Bobby refused to give up and miraculously kept breathing
Andrew Nolan was engaged to Bobby’s aunt and had been a family friend for 12 years before the sickening attack
Andrew Nolan, the man responsible for Bobby’s horrific injuries, was engaged to Bobby’s aunt and had been a family friend for 12 years before the sickening attack.
He has never admitted what drove him to abuse Bobby that day in September 2014 while his fiance took Bobby’s sisters to the movies.
Nolan pleaded guilty to abusing Bobby over the four-hour period and was initially sentenced to eight and a half years in prison.
That sentence was increased by an additional three years on appeal.
Now in remission from epilepsy and reversing some of the conditions doctors once feared would plague him for the rest of his life, Mrs Webber hopes Bobby will continue to wean off some of his medication.
It has been three years since he last suffered a seizure.
‘For somebody like Bobby that is amazing,’ Mrs Webber said.
Bobby recently blew doctors and his parents away at his latest cognitive therapy assessment.
Instead of what was once described as a profound intellectual disability, Bobby’s latest diagnosis was down-scaled to ‘moderate to severe’.
He is also no longer classified as non-verbal.
In fact, Bobby has become well accustomed to telling his doting parents and big sister ‘no’, and Mrs Webber said his cheeky personality constantly shines through.
Bobby and his eight-year-old sister Olivia (left) are the best of friends, their mother Elise Webber told Daily Mail Australia
‘Our little boy is showing us what he would have been like prior to the injury,’ Mrs Webber said
‘I never knew what his personality would be like but now I think he would have been just as cheeky,’ she said.
‘He understands everything , he’s so affectionate. He can follow instructions so beautifully.’
He and his eight-year-old sister Olivia are the best of friends, too.
Mrs Webber said the pair are ‘inseparable’ and described their bond as ‘nothing I have ever seen before.’
‘Olivia’s empathy is far beyond any adult I have ever met. Which will serve her well. It’s unfortunate what she has had to experience but she is just incredible. She has taken on above and beyond what is expected of her.’
Bobby’s half-sister Gabby, who is now 13, lives away from the family, but regularly uses Facetime with Bobby and Olivia.
For a family who were once told the best outcome for Bobby would ‘be for him to pass away’, the miracles that they see with Bobby’s progress day in and day out are more than they could have ever hoped for after the ordeal.
‘Our little boy is showing us what he would have been like prior to the injury,’ Mrs Webber said.
BOBBY’S CHEERLEADING DREAMS
Bobby began competing with Liberty Allstars Cheerleading in 2018, in a special abilities team called Iron Heart.
Iron Heart is comprised of a number of children with varying capabilities and talents, as well as older helpers who take to the competition floor with the little ones.
Mrs Webber told Daily Mail Australia Bobby is thriving in the sport and that he ‘absolutely adores his cheer family’.
‘It has given him the opportunity to be in a sport, and he doesn’t feel like he’s different.’
‘He doesn’t have stigma, and he gets so much joy from being at Liberty, going out into competitions and hearing everybody clap for something that he is proud of.’
‘It has been wonderful for awareness of his body, he really responds so well to music and just the supportive environment for me, Bobby and Olivia is a blessing.’
‘There are people in that gym who were once complete strangers and are now family and friends,’ she said.
Bobby began competing with Liberty Allstars Cheerleading in 2018, in a special abilities team called Iron Heart
Bobby and his big sister Olivia recently met with Santa for their 2018 family picture
On Sundays, Bobby attends Liberty Allstars cheerleading in Penrith, in Sydney’s west.
There, he works with a number of staff and student helpers, as well as his team mates, in a special abilities cheerleading team.
The team attends competitions across Sydney throughout the year and shows off all their hard work from classes, performing a series of stunts, tumbling and dance moves to music.
2018 was Bobby’s first year trying his hand at the sport, and Mrs Webber was thrilled at his progress.
‘It has given him the opportunity to be in a sport, and he doesn’t feel like he’s different,’ she said.
‘He doesn’t have stigma, and he gets so much joy from being at Liberty, going out into competitions and hearing everybody clap for something that he is proud of.’
‘It has been wonderful for awareness of his body, he really responds so well to music and just the supportive environment for me, Bobby and Olivia is a blessing.’
‘There are people in that gym who were once complete strangers and are now family and friends.’
His parents, Elise and Barry, held a bedside christening for their son after deciding to turn off his life support
Bobby has become well accustomed to telling his doting parents and big sister ‘no’, and Ms Webber said his cheeky personality constantly shines through