A TEENAGE boy who was left in a coma after he was hit by a car has made a miraculous recovery.

Callum West, 15, has been left with permanent brain damage after the accident which happened in January.

His parents feared he would not survive the horrific incident in Warren Road, Woodingdean, which left him with life-changing injuries.

He remained in a coma for almost a month and is now registered disabled.

But according to his family, the Longhill High School pupil has made a miraculous recovery.

Amanda Rose, Callum’s aunt, said: “We are just so happy with his recovery.

“We really thought he wasn’t going to survive.

“The morning after the crash the doctors called the family to say goodbye to him because he wasn’t going to make it so we all drove to Southampton.

“It was honestly the worst two hours of our lives but at least he’s alive.”

Ms Rose said she was thrilled with his recovery, but knows his life will never be the same.

She said: “Since the accident it has been quite hard.

“His mum Jackie didn’t get to see much of her youngest daughter who was only five months at the time because she was always in hospital with Callum.

“She has other kids as well so it was really hard.

“And with his recovery it has been a lot of one step forward and two steps back because he had to go back in for surgery on his brain.

“He can’t go out on his own and his mood changes a bit more now.

“He obviously wants to continue his normal life but his life has changed quite dramatically.”

Callum is still under review and is currently waiting to see whether or not he can return to school.

He turned 15 in March, while he was in hospital, and is due to start his GCSEs in the next academic year.

Ms Rose said she hoped he could return to school part time in September.

Callum had just left the Co-op in the early evening on January 14.

He was crossing the road when he was hit by a car.

He was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and then transferred to Southampton General Hospital where he remained for 11 weeks.

The driver of the car, George Seager of Briar Close in Brighton, appeared at Brighton Magistrates court on Thursday.

The 73-year-old pleaded guilty to driving without a licence or insurance and failing to stop at the scene of an accident which caused injury.

Seager was banned from driving for a year and handed a two-year community order.

He was put under a curfew with an electronic tag for four months, during which he must stay at home every night between 4pm and midnight.

And he was ordered to attend rehabilitation sessions.

Ms Rose said the family had been shocked at the outcome of the court case.