A GENEROUS gesture has made it possible for the family of a schoolboy who was seriously injured in a skiing accident to make regular visits to his hospital bedside in France.

Nine-year-old Brook Hill is making a slow but steady recovery at Purpan Hospital in Toulouse after an out-of-control skier ploughed into him during a family holiday in the Pyrenees on February 17, causing him to fall into a coma.

Since then, Brook, who lives in Wrenbury but is originally from Bickerton, has been showing signs of a slow improvement, moving around on his own and even removing his own breathing tubes.

Mum Rachael has been by his bedside since the accident but dad Louis has had to return home so son Barney, 12, can attend school in Whitchurch.

The pair have been making visits back to France as regularly as they can, but whereas before they had to travel to London or Bristol to catch a flight to Toulouse, generous staff at Airbus have now allowed them to travel on their planes directly from their Hawarden Airport base, straight to Toulouse – saving hours of time and expense.

Louis, who handles the PR for events including Cholmondeley’s Pageant of Power, said: “We’ve been blown away by the support we have experienced and now Airbus has been kind enough to allow us to fly with them between their offices on a friends and family rate – it just shows humanity in business is live and kicking!

“It’s a massive help. And not only that, O2 has decided not to charge me for my mobile phone bill for the last month – I can’t believe the kindness from such a large organisation.

“All show the generosity of the human spirit and I for one intend to have it always available to others from this point onward,” he added.

Brook’s plight has touched hundreds of people across the world, even the Manchester United football team who showed their support by sending him a personal video wishing him a speedy recovery.

Louis, who along with Barney, was offered tickets to the team’s match against Real Madrid on Tuesday, added: “I think we should all stop for a short time and appreciate that there are some really good people in this world and not just the baddies that we hear about.

“This is clearly demonstrated in all the kind acts people have done for us while we are in this nightmare.”