A CHILD who was seriously injured after being hit by a car as he crossed a road near his school has suffered a major setback in his recovery

A CHILD who was seriously injured after being hit by a car as he crossed a road near his school has suffered a major setback in his recovery.Brendon Ford, aged 12, was knocked down as he crossed Marchfields Way, near Wyvern Community School, Weston, last October. He suffered injuries to his leg, pelvis, liver, collarbone and skull.Brendon, now wheelchair bound, needed brain surgery and was left with extreme weakness down one side of his body. After numerous operations, he began to improve and his family hoped he would soon come home.But in the last two weeks he has undergone four operations after suffering setbacks including extreme bouts of sickness, an infection and a brain haemorrhage. He has also gone through procedures to drain fluid from his brain.Brendon's mum, Donna, aged 34, of Bournville Road, said: "It is so upsetting because he was improving and we could even take him out for short periods. Now he is bed-bound. "He was extremely sick and stopped breathing on a couple of occasions. The doctors had to put a bore-hole in his skull to remove the fluid which was causing pressure. The doctors think the pressure caused the haemorrhage."He is still poorly and we have been told he will be in hospital for at least nine months and will have two more operations, one of which will be to fit a titanium plate to his skull."We were told he was going to be brain damaged but he has communicated through hand movements and some limited speech. He still has a sense of humour and when he smiles it is fantastic to see. Since the accident a family member has been with him at hospital at all times. I do not know what I would do without them. They have been absolutely amazing."Mother-of-four, Donna, says the speed limit on Marchfields Way should be reduced to prevent any more accidents.She said: "With so many children crossing that road and a school nearby there should be a lower speed limit. Brendon will need care for life. I would hate this to happen to another child." Wyvern Community School headteacher, Andy Russell, and town councillor Mark Canniford have been campaigning to reduce the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph.Mr Russell said: "We have been working with school governors, the Parents Forum and North Somerset Council regarding the speed limit around the school."The council has said it will not reduce it and both the Parents Forum and I are disappointed at this decision. Instead, they will look at re-structuring the road and the entrance to the school to make it safer."Cllr Canniford said: "It seems we have to wait until someone is killed before North Somerset will consider changing the speed limit. It is an absolute nonsense."Re-structuring the road is a total no-brainer. It would also cost thousands to do instead of a few hundred to change the speed limit signs. Where is the logic in that?