Harry Studley was shot in the head aged 18 months when a neighbour fired an air rifle in a neighbour dispute – he has gone on to achieve something incredible
A young lad who was given a mere one per cent chance of survival after being shot in the head by a neighbour when he was just 18 months old has gone on to achieve something remarkable.
Harry Studley, now nine, was just a toddler of 18 months when an air rifle pellet became lodged in his brain, fired by a neighbour. The culprit, a 24 year old man, was later sentenced to two years in prison after he confessed to causing grievous bodily harm to little Harry, who required immediate surgery.
Harry’s chances of survival were slim – with his family left in the dark about whether he would ever regain consciousness. However, against all odds, he pulled through, even though he now lives with lifelong conditions such as epilepsy and partial blindness.
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And now he has managed to raise over £8,000 for the heroes who saved his life. Harry and his father, Edward Studley, 30, participated in the Grand Walk for the Grand Appeal, aiming to raise funds for the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. The walk spanned 3.1 miles (5 kilometres) – and despite initial struggles, Harry “ran across the finish line with a smile,” according to his proud dad.
“It was a fantastic day,” said Edward, from Bristol. “Harry absolutely loves being the centre of attention – and he was the guest of honour, if you like.” He admitted that Harry found it challenging and stumbled a few times, but still managed to cross the finish line with a grin on his face.
On the morning of the walk, Edward was informed that they had managed to raise £2k for the hospital – a figure that had ballooned to £8k by the end of the day. An additional donation of £100 yesterday (12/10) brought the total to £8,126 – just in time for the duo to present the cheque to Harry’s former neurosurgeon, Michael Carter.
“It’s been absolutely insane to see the total go up and up,” Edward exclaimed, overwhelmed by the outpour of support. He continued: “It really restored my faith in humanity.”
The journey evoked strong emotions as he recounted, “Yesterday was really emotional – seeing the bed where Harry spent so much time in recovery.” Edward described a touching moment: “It was really wholesome to see Harry having a laugh and a joke with the surgeon who saved his life.”
Reflecting on his son’s incredible recovery, he said: “Harry has come so far – considering we didn’t know if he was ever going to wake up or not.” Full of paternal pride, he concluded, “I’m one very proud dad, that’s for sure.”
