This is the horrific moment a toddler was launched into the air after his father, in an accident at home, kicked a football at his face from barely five meters away.
When his two-year-old son Quade was knocked off his feet and fell flat on his back on their brick driveway in Southwick, Wiltshire, Nick Ballinger, 33, felt he had “nearly murdered” the child.
The incident was captured on camera and posted to TikTok. In the clip, the boy is seen lifeless on the ground as his terrified father quickly lifts him up.
Lauren, his horrified and expectant mother, 34, scolds her partner for his potentially errant shot, which he claims he had thought would pass over his son’s head and land at the end of the driveway.
Speaking last week, Mr. Ballinger acknowledged that if his kid had hit his head, he “might have killed” him but added that the child was just “dazed” for 30 seconds before “returning to normal.”
He added that “things may go bad very quickly” and expressed his hope that the clip, which was shot in June 2020, can serve as a warning to other parents hoping to have a good time with their kids this summer.
He made fun of the fact that his now four-year-old son prefers to play rugby since he was likely “turned off football for life.”
As soon as I kicked it, I knew it would strike him, according to Mr. Ballinger. Oh sh*t, I thought in a panic.
I feared the worst when his feet rose off the ground. I feared he might fall and hurt his skull. If the worst had happened, it might have killed him. You make an effort not to consider that.
The father of four claimed that because he was barefoot and thus did not want to kick the ground, he “did not connect very well” with the ball.
He continued, “I was attempting to get it over him, but from the video it appears like I was shooting for him. In retrospect, that was probably not the best course of action.
He failed to anticipate it at all. He avoided hitting his skull by lifting his head up at the last second and landing on his back and shoulder blades. He struck lucky.
I gave him a quick hug, and 30 seconds later he resumed his regular state. I simply felt relieved. It didn’t make Lauren pleased at all. After that, she was a little harsh with me.
“At the time, I felt pretty bad, but after I realized everything was fine, we laughed about it, and I downloaded it off the CCTV and sent it to everyone I know,” the speaker said.
Quade now favors rugby, so perhaps this drove football out of him, he continued. Most likely, he will never be the same.
It serves as a wonderful reminder for fathers to exercise caution when playing with their boys. This kind of thing can all go terribly bad very fast. Perhaps individuals should purchase some American football caps!
I’ve come to my senses. I no longer play football since I’m not very good at it.
Mother Lauren claims she heard a “loud thud” as the ball cannoned into Quade while brushing the floor a few feet away from the incident.
I’m surprised I didn’t go straight over, but I was more shocked, she continued. I undoubtedly reprimanded Nick. You can see me poking fun at him in the video.
They also share a home with Everly, 7, Aubree, 6, and Estee, 1, who was Lauren’s unborn child at the time the video was shot.
Quade prefers playing with oval-shaped balls to round ones right now, but Mr. Ballinger is adamant that he will adore viewing the film back when he is older.