A 14-year-old boy who was seriously injured Wednesday evening in a stabbing near Twaalfbunder, close to De Wildert Elementary School in Breda, underwent an eight-hour surgery in Rotterdam after doctors discovered his injuries were more severe than initially thought, Omroep Brabant reports.

The boy’s mother said, “His diaphragm was damaged, and because of that, his stomach moved upward.” Doctors first believed the wound was superficial and stitched it, but it reopened quickly, causing internal bleeding. A follow-up scan at a Breda hospital revealed the full extent of the injury.

The stabbing occurred during a dispute between other boys. “He actually had nothing to do with it,” his mother said. “They were fighting with his friend.” The argument, which began as minor pushing and shoving, escalated when another boy drew a knife. The 14-year-old tried to intervene, telling the attacker, “Take the knife away or stop,” but the assailant struck him in the side after missing his friend twice. The attacker fled the scene on a fatbike. Police later arrested two minors from Breda.

The boy remains hospitalized in Rotterdam and cannot eat normally, receiving nutrition through a tube. His mother said he has not fully grasped the incident. “I think he doesn’t really realize it yet. He doesn’t talk about it much.” She added that his recovery is progressing slowly but steadily: “Step by step, he’s moving forward. It will be okay; now it’s just about recovering.”