THIS is the moment Jack Taylor’s mother feared she would never see.

The teenage cyclist holds his baby brother as he prepares to leave hospital after suffering a serious head injury when he was knocked off his bike.

Last night, the 14-year-old’s mother Nicola Berry warned of the dangers of not wearing a cycle helmet and said: “Parents are not just nagging, there is a reason.”

Jack, from Abingdon, suffered a fractured skull and two blood clots on his brain and spent more than seven weeks in hospital after his accident in June.

He was hit in Ock Street, Abingdon, while on the way to school. He was airlifted to hospital and underwent a four-hour operation.

Mrs Berry last night said he had been lucky to survive as he was not wearing a helmet.

She said her son returned home last month, but his personality had been changed by the massive head injury.

The 33-year-old said: “From the predictions he was given he is doing extremely well, but he still has a long way to go.”

But she said: “He is not the person he was.

“His personality has changed, which has been hard to come to terms with, but Rome was not built in a day.”

She said her son now “looked at the world differently” and his tastes had also changed.

The teenager, who left Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital on July 29, also suffers from speech and memory problems.

Mrs Berry said Jack cycled to Larkmead School every day from the family’s John Morris Road home.

But she said parents and schools needed to do more to make sure children wore cycle helmets.

She said: “I think there should be something put in place by schools saying a bike is not allowed to be taken to school or go home without the child wearing a helmet. The school should be monitoring people more.”

But she said: “You can send your child out the door with a helmet and they will take it off when they get around the corner. But at least you know you have done the best you can.”

In 2008 Sarah Waterhouse, 17, was killed while cycling to school, and in 2009 11-year-old Ty-Ree Partridge died after a collision with a van.

Larkmead headteacher Chris Harris said it was always difficult to ensure children were safe between home and school for teachers and parents.

But he said the school did “everything that is reasonable and responsible” to make sure pupils knew how to stay safe.

Brain injury charity Headway, based in Kennington, supports adults who have suffered a serious head injury.

Jamie Stalker, services manager, said personality changes were “very common” with brain injuries.

He said: “There can be big changes and also certain traits in a personality can be exacerbated.

“Generally it is something that can potentially improve over time but brain injury is a long term condition.”

Police have told Jack Taylor’s family they will not be taking any action against the driver of the Mercedes that hit her son on Wednesday, June 5.

Thames Valley Police spokesman Rebecca Webber said: “The matter has been fully investigated and no action will be taken against the driver involved in this collision.”

Cyclox vice-chairman Richard Mann said young cyclists should wear a helmet, but it was important they were taught how to use the roads properly.

He said: “It’s the taking care and being aware of what’s going on around you that will ultimately keep you out of trouble.”

  • The number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on Oxfordshire’s roads last year was 72 – up 33 per cent from 54 in 2009. All county accidents involving cyclists rose 12 per cent, from 276 in 2009 to 309 in 2012. Slight casualties increased five per cent, from 219 to 231.