PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — It's not often we get to show you the happy ending when a child in our community is faced with life-threatening challenges.
But this is an exception.
Almost six months ago, we introduced you to 9-year-old Marco Hannan from Port St. Lucie. After beating cancer, he needed a double lung transplant.
WPTV's Stephanie Susskind shares his inspiring story of survival as he gets ready to come home.
Port St Lucie
Community rallies around boy in need of lung transplant
We all knew he was "Marco Strong," beating cancer at just 5 years old. Now at almost 10, Marco just proved how strong he really is.
"He knows he's going to make it, and that's the most important thing. And that's really what got him through," said Marco's mom, Graziella Hannan.
Hannan and Marco have been side-by-side for months at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville. He needed a lung transplant because of the chemotherapy his little body endured.
Hannan said Marco was hanging on by a thread.
"Finally, when we thought he couldn't take anymore, we got the call that we received a set of lungs," Hannan said. "For me, it was very much a relief because his time was ticking. He already went into heart failure two times."
As the miracle match came through, Hannan continued to document every step of Marco's journey, full of victories both big and small.
The months-long recovery has brought him to today, ready to head back home to Port St. Lucie any day now.
"Hopefully now, we're done with hospitals for a bit. That would be really nice," Hannan said.
"What are you looking forward to most about coming home soon?" Susskind asked Marco.
"Staying home and seeing my house," Marco replied.
If Marco and his family can leave you with anything, it's hope.
"Just don't give up," Marco said.
"He's such a normal kid," Hannan said.
"How does it feel to see him be a typical 9-year-old?" Susskind asked Hannan.
"It feels so good," Hannan answered. "You don't know how good it feels to have all of your kids under one roof, happy and laughing at the same time. That alone is worth it, because once those little things are gone, nothing else matters."
A family grateful for the little moments that make life big.
