A nearly three-year-old boy from Illinois is now home for the first time in his life after he was born with a rare and debilitating condition.
Francesco Bruno left La Rabida Children’s Hospital on Tuesday as he begins the next chapter of his life at home with his family.
“He’s two years and 10 months, and he’s been in a hospital since he’s been born. We’ve been waiting for this a long time, and it’s kind of surreal that it’s happening,” Maggie Sladick, an occupational therapist at the hospital, told FOX affiliateWFLD.
It was a moment that his parents have waited for since the day Francesco was born two years and 10 months ago.
“We’re very happy, nervous, tense, scared, overwhelmed, really happy, overjoyed,” his father, Emanuele Bruno, toldCBS News. “It’s just a melting pot of emotions.”
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Though the severity of the condition varies from child to child, it can cause the irregular growth of arms and legs, clubfoot, and bowlegs. In Francesco’s case, it specifically affects his ribs, which makes it difficult for his lungs to grow correctly, WFLD reports.
“They told us [when] he was going to be born, he was only going to live for 30 minutes,” Francesco’s mother, Priscilla Bruno, told CBS News. “It’s really a miracle he’s with us today.”
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Francesco’s condition is improving, and both Emanuele and Priscilla took classes so they can care for his needs.
“We’re overjoyed,” Priscilla told WFLD, “and very, very happy and ready to start a new chapter, new adventure.”
source: people.com
