An injured survivor of the Tasmanian jumping castle tragedy has tucked into a pizza in hospital after being discharged from intensive care – as his uncle revealed how the boy ‘put up one hell of a fight’.
Declean Brown is one of two children now out of ICU at the Royal Hobart Hospital after being caught up in the accident at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport last week.
The disaster, which happened when the inflatable was lifted 10m into the air by a gust of wind, has claimed the lives of six school children.
Declean Brown was one of two children moved out of the intensive care unit on Thursday, having been injured in the accident at the Hillcrest Primary School last week in Tasmania
His uncle David Best uploaded the photo online, saying his nephew had made a brave recovery from his injuries.
The photo showed a scar on Declean’s head, which had been partly shaved.
‘He has put up one hell of a fight and is now awake and has a long road ahead,’ Mr Best wrote in a Facebook post.
‘Well done little dude and enjoy that requested pizza. So proud of you. Stay strong and see you soon.
‘My heart still breaks for the families that lost their loved ones.’
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein on Thursday confirmed Declean and another child injured in the tragedy were in a stable condition.
The brave youngster – with a partially shaved head and tubes to match, still managed to crack a smile in hospital after waking up from his coma in Royal Hobart Hospital
‘I’m certain that all Tasmanians will join me in sending their thoughts and wishes to their families at this time at what is no doubt a very difficult set of circumstances,’ he said.
‘But it’s pleasing and I know that we are all very thankful that they are out of ICU and are in a much better condition.’
The good news came on the same day as the first funeral for one of the six victims.
Zane Mellor, 12, was laid to rest at a service in Devonport on Thursday.
Two boys who were seriously injured in the Devonport jumping castle tragedy have been moved out of the intensive care unit. The funeral for Zane Mellor (pictured) was held on Thursday
Peter Dodt, 12, Addison Stewart, 11, Jye Sheehan, 12 Jalailah Jayne-Marie Jones, 12, and Chace Harrison, 11, were the other children killed in the accident.
A week after the tragedy, hundreds of friends and relatives piled into the pews at local parish Mersey Gardens Chapel to say goodbye to Zane.
Mourners were told of how the young boy had a fondness for animals and gaming, and was known as ‘Jurassic Zane’ to his online network.
His coffin was decorated in Playstation controllers and had a poster of his favourite game Red Dead Redemption II hanging over it.
Pictured left to right are Zane Mellor, 12, Peter Dodt, 12, Addison Stewart, 11, Jye Sheehan, 12 Jalailah Jayne-Marie Jones, 12, and Chace Harrison, 11, who have been identified by police, with permission from family, as the children tragically killed in a jumping castle accident at a primary school in north-west Tasmania
His devastated mother Georgie Gardam fought back tears as she read out a tribute to her first born child, standing near his small blue coffin decorated with white-painted gaming controllers.
‘My baby, where do I start,’ she began.
‘I was so young when I had you, only 15, and now I know why. You grew up with me, you held my hand.. You were my man of the house always, my protector, my strength, my gamer.’
‘I spoilt you rotten – Hawaiian pizza, McDonald’s… some of your favourites. Everyone told me to get you off that PlayStation but I let you play until your heart was content and your eyes got sleepy.
‘I love you Zane. No matter what the weather, we’re together. I love you Zaney.’
A heartbreaking slideshow of photos collected throughout Zane’s 12 years of life was played during the service, showing images of him fishing, gaming, riding on quad bikes and lovingly hugging his younger siblings.
Hours before the memorial, Ms Gardam penned a gut-wrenching post on social media describing how she was struggling to find strength as she braced to say her final goodbye to her son.
Emergency services workers are pictured at the scene on the tragedy at the Hillcrest Primary School on December 16
‘Today will be one of the hardest days of my life,’ she wrote.
‘What do I weigh up… the day I lost you or the day I put you to rest. I’m not sure.’
Zane’s farewell came a day after loved ones said goodbye to Jalailah Jayne-Maree in a service at local parish Church of Christ.
Jye Sheehan’s tiny wooden casket was adorned with bright flowers and his beloved soccer ball as mourners piled into the chapel with The Script’s Hall Of Fame playing in the background
Jye Sheehan’s funeral meanwhile was held on Friday – with his friends and family gathering to celebrate his life.
Jye’s good mate Beau Medcraft, who survived the tragedy with minor injuries, also wrote a short tribute which was read out at the service.
‘You were my gaming wingman, we spent all our spare time playing Fortnite,’ Beau recalled.
Zane Mellor’s heartbroken mother Georgie paid tribute to her first born child and ‘protector’. She is pictured at a memorial outside Hillcrest Primary School last week
‘Sometimes I’d put you on hold while I ate tea and forget you were there… I’d go out to the shops with mum, but you were always waiting for me when I came back.’
One very important loved one – Jye’s father Glen – was not able to make it to the service after waking from a coma to learn he is permanently disabled following an accident last month.
He remains in an intensive care unit at a Hobart Hospital, 280km away in the state’s south and woke to the heartbreaking news his little boy is dead.
Another classmate, Beau Medcraft, who miraculously escaped death visited the scene on Monday for the first time to pay respect to his peers.
With both arms in casts and his shoulder in a sling, Beau placed four Xbox controllers among the sea of flowers and cards left by families and members of the local community.
Distraught police officers (pictured) at the scene of the jumping castle tragedy in Devonport, Tasmania
He then broke down as he hugged his parents, who embraced the young boy at the tribute.
More than a million dollars has been raised through GoFundMe to be divided between the families of the dead and injured children.
The federal government has also pledged $800,000 for counselling and mental health support to help those affected by the tragedy.
Tasmania police are still investigating what led to the catastrophe and will prepare a brief for the coroner.
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