A TEENAGER who nearly died after collapsing with a blood clot on the brain, joined friends at his school's end of year prom last night.

Brave Jake Sheppard, 16, showed just how well he has recovered from his ordeal when he donned a dinner suit and travelled to the Marriott Hotel in a limousine with pals from Kingsdown School for the prom.

The sports-mad teenager was taken to hospital in March after collapsing a day after being kneed in the head during a rugby match.

At the time doctors thought he may not pull through.

But two months later, although he has not been able to return to school, he's almost back to his old self.

Jake said: "I'm a lot better now.

"I still get a bit of short-term memory loss but I'm back in the gym and I feel stronger now than I did before becoming ill. I just feel lucky to be here really.

"I've kept in touch with my mates but there's some people I haven't been able to see so it's great to be able to go to the ball."

Jake will be studying to become a PE teacher at Cirencester College next year.

Sadly he won't be able to return to the rugby field or to the boxing ring where he fought for the Walcot Amateur Boxing Club.

He has been told that he is unlikely ever to get his peripheral vision back.

This also means that he will not be able to hold a driving licence.

But his mum Fay says that she is just so grateful her son is alive and well.

"He has done ever so well and he is really getting his strength back. We are so proud of him and it has really made us all appreciate life so much more."

Among those who were at the prom was Jake's best friend Anthony Cacchio, 16, who was with him when he collapsed while the pair were out jogging.

He said: "It's really great that Jake has been able to come to the ball because at one point we didn't know if he was even going to be alive by now. He's really getting back to normal now and has been around to my house loads.

"Jake came to our leavers assembly at school and it was brilliant to have him back there."

Diana Milne