‘It stole his childhood’: Sheffield boy in hit and run completing 5K for children’s mental health
A Sheffield teen left with a brain injury after a hit-and-run is training for a 5K charity run to support children’s mental health - in the same park overlooked by the hospital that helped save his life.
Liam Denton was just eight when a car hit him as he rode his bike near his home in Aston. The impact snapped his bike in half and left him lying in the road unconscious, with his legs bent out of place.
In a TikTok posted to the Boxwave account he says : “My head hit the windscreen and the impact flipped me over, I was put in an ambulance and then into a coma.”
His mum, Rebekah Frost recounts the traumatic event: “I was cooking dinner when someone knocked on the door, and they said, ‘You have a young son, right? I’ve just found him lying in the road - I ran out with my daughter and saw him there.”
From there, Rebekah called the ambulance: “I remember looking at him in the ambulance and all I could see were his toes shaking. He looked so little.”
When they arrived at the hospital, his odds were not good after suffering damage to his legs and brain.
“We were told he might not wake up and I was planning his funeral - no mother should ever have to go through that.”
Liam suffered a brain injury and a broken leg. Despite recalling the car model and number plate, police said there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute.
“It was a hit-and-run, but because of the lack of evidence, no one was ever held accountable and we’ve had no justice,” said Rebekah.
Now 13, Liam lives with PTSD and ADHD, and struggles to control his anger surrounding the situation. Rebekah says that he is in therapy, but struggles to control his emotions knowing that the people who ruined his life, got away unscathed.
She also explains how the trauma of the accident left lasting scars:
“He went from being a daredevil - fearless and bubbly- to terrified of everything. He wouldn’t even go swimming, or leave the house - it completely stole his childhood.”
Liam also struggled with frequent night terrors, seeing someone watching over his bed each night.
Rebekah said that at some points she did not even recognise her own son, after he lost his passion for life and turned to food instead. He had no interest in leaving the house, and spent his time indulging in fizzy pop and video games instead. At this point, Rebekah became desperate for change.
When scrolling through TikTok late at night, her prayers were answered when she came across Boxwave’s account.
Boxwave is a fitness programme based in Stratford-upon-Avon for children struggling with their weight, organised by two brothers, Harry and Joe Freeman, passionate about fitness.
But more than that, Rebekah says they are passionate about championing the mental health of young people who are struggling with weight on the outside, but more complex mental struggles on the inside.
After messaging them on TikTok, Rebekah brought Liam down for his first session:
“We went down there, and they had Liam dragging tyres and carrying water weights on the very first session.”
She says she had not seen him so passionate and excited since the hit and run all those years ago: “He loved it, he came out beaming. I hadn’t seen him like that in years.”
Since joining, Liam has lost over a stone - the most in the group - and rediscovered his confidence.
“He said to me, ‘Nobody’s going to defeat me anymore.’ and that really was the turning point,” says Rebekah.
Liam now wants to give back - by taking part in a 5K run on 29 May, at Weston Park, to raise money for children’s mental health and those with serious illness in hospital.
“We chose Weston Park because it’s near Sheffield Children’s Hospital. He wants the kids in there to be able to look out the window, or come out and see people running for them.”
The Sheffield stop is part of a wider eight cities in eight days charity run, launching on 24 May, with other events planned in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Edinburgh. The campaign aims to raise awareness around children’s health and wellbeing, while also fundraising for seriously ill children in hospital.
Harry, one of the team leads at Boxwave, says the project was created in response to what he describes as an increasing issue with children spending too much time on screens and parents putting anything they can on the plate to cope with busy lives.
“We see this as a way to help teach kids how to live more healthily and turn their lives around,” he said.
“An unhealthy lifestyle can cause all sorts of issues - bullying, low self-esteem. In Liam’s case, the main thing we’ve wanted to do is build his confidence back up, and we’re slowly seeing that happen.”
He continues: “What’s funny is that a lot of the time, the kids have already heard the things we’re saying - about food, confidence, routine - but when it comes from someone they follow on TikTok or Instagram, they want to listen,” he added.
He said the team has received a huge volume of messages from concerned parents across the country, highlighting how widespread the issue is.
Boxwave is currently deciding on a charity to support through the tour, with plans to either donate to children's hospitals in each city or one overarching charity.
The Sheffield event will be open to anyone, with Harry encouraging local families to just turn up and get involved.
Rebekah echoes this sentiment and says she hopes as many people turn up to support the run as possible.
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