Ethan Hunter, 17, is planning to sleep in his own bed again after a long battle against cancer.
Ethan was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, lymphoblastic lymphoma T-cell leukemia, in 2022. According to his doctors, he's the first person in the world with that type of cancer to respond to the drug trial he's a part of.
His mother, Shara Hunter, said the whole family is excited for his homecoming.
"His brother and sister haven't seen him since Christmas," she said. "[Ethan] hasn't slept in his own bed in 10 months. He hasn't seen his own house in 10 months."
Shara added that Ethan is also looking forward to seeing his cat and that some of the most mundane things have now become huge milestones.
"He hasn't eaten in a year; he's now eating three meals a day," she said.
Ethan's return home will be phased in, as his doctors want it to be as safe for him as possible. His mom explained that at first, he'll be able to have day visits and return to Chatham for a few hours at a time before going back to the hospital.
The hope is that he'll be able to return home for good in three to five weeks.
Ethan's turnaround was a long time coming. He has spent about two years in and out of hospitals in Toronto and London.
"Anything that could go wrong, did," Shara explained, adding that Ethan suffered complications after some surgeries and there have been challenges with medications and steroids that he was on for an extended period of time.
Despite the challenges, Shara said that her son has come out on top, even shocking some of his doctors.
"[When] they said there was a one per cent chance, I said 'you watch, he'll make that one per cent and prove you guys wrong,'" she shared. "Ethan just squashes everything that comes his way."
Ethan is in remission, with 99 per cent new cells, and his mom explained that he's still immunocompromised and it will take longer than normal for him to bounce back. She added that friends and family would have to continue to wear masks around him for at least the next year and that he'll be in a wheelchair for the foreseeable future.
"There's a long road still ahead of us," she said. "But the main goal was to keep him alive, and he's going to survive."
A huge renovation has quickly transformed Ethan's room to prepare for his return.
"With bacteria and dust and anything airborne, we had to take out the carpets and the baseboards and wash all the walls," Shara explained, adding that the family replaced the furnace and added UV lights and an air purifier last year, before Ethan's relapse. "We literally destroyed the room. We ripped out everything and started over."
The renovations are the latest cost in the mounting bills the Hunters are facing, but Shara noted that it pales in comparison to what Ethan has lost.
"It hurts my heart," she said. "He lost everything. His education, his friends... He was 14 when this happened. He wanted to be an NBA player, he'll never play basketball again. He didn't get to drive. He's never dated a girl. There's so many things you don't get back."
But Shara said she is determined to help Ethan build his life back, adding that she tries to do something every day that will lift his spirits.
"He's a character," she explained. "When I shaved my head, I don't think I've seen him laugh so much... And that was the goal. Tomorrow will be something new for his goal, but at that time, that was the goal that got him through to tomorrow... So, I've got to keep coming up with new things to keep him going until he gets to a spot he believes in himself."
One of Shara's goals is to line the street in front of their home with people cheering Ethan on when he finally returns home -- but they do not have a specific date in mind yet.
If you would like to support Ethan and his family on his journey, a GoFundMe page has been set up in his name.