STONY BROOK, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — A 19-year-old junior firefighter from Long Island is back home Tuesday, after a seven-week stay in the hospital.
“I just thank, you know, everyone. I thank God that I have the ability to come home with my boy,” said Eugene Spiotta.
He says he and his wife, Jane, are grateful that their 19-year-old son Thomas, who has Down syndrome, is able to come home for the first time in seven weeks.
Thomas was originally hospitalized after having intestinal problems. He then required a number of intense surgeries after doctors discovered a blood clot and had to remove 3-feet of his small intestines.
“Seeing first hand everyday what the doctors and nurses do on the pediatric floor is just unbelievable, and the families and the love,” Eugene said.
Thomas' mother Jane says it was that support system that helped the 19-year-old get through the difficult time.
“I believe he felt every bit of love and support that was around him, and that’s what helped him pull through,” she said.
Thomas, a senior at Bellport High School, was greeted to applause from dozens of firefighters as he left Stony Brook University Hospital to go home.