Email

Print

But finally, he returned home this evening feeling better and looking great. The flight from Houston was delayed until 5:30 and our Monica Bodden is just back. Here's what Tarrell's mom Nicole MacDougal had to say after spending four months just getting better:.....

Monica Bodden, Reporting
When he left Belize in March Tarrell Sutherland didn't have much to smile about but when he returned today, four months later, the now 5 year old was smiling.

And so was his mother, Nicole Mcdougal, She's happy because her son is doing much better and they are, finally, back home:

Nicole Mcdougal, Mother
"I feel good. I was eager to get here from this morning but the flight was delay so I just had to have patience."

And while they were homesick, Tarrell is feeling better than ever and his skin is looking healthy:

Nicole Mcdougal
"He is comfortable, now he is becoming a child that could walk and run around and he even learn to spell his own name and different stuff. He is doing a whole lot better."

Monica Bodden
"What was the treatment like for him in the US?"

Nicole Mcdougal
"It was hard because the therapy was painful. The bath and the different type of medication with lot of side effects but he have to take it."

Monica Bodden
"And now he is OK, well enough to be back home. Does he have to go back to the US to do any follow up."

Nicole Mcdougal
"Yeah he will be going back in 8 months time because the endocrinologist needs to test his growth to see how much he is growing and also Dr. Levy wants to keep him and do follow up to see how well he is improving."

He saw many doctors in Texas, had dozens of check-ups, and received many sessions of painful hydro-therapy. But now that he's back home and all that care plus the air conditioned everything is left behind in Texas how will his skin hold up?:

Nicole Mcdougal
"For the rest of his life he will be on Soriatin which is an iron tablet just to dry the skin, keep him from ooze and from stripping his skin because since he was there he wasn't really blister, maybe two times. His foot didn't break out, maybe one time. So it's really amazing that he is doing really well. I just hope that we can keep it this way and his body can keep up with everything."

And while the future will tell its own story, we can say that since we first met him in November of 2009, Tarrell has surely come a long way both in terms of his health and appearance, and his personal development - after all today, he's very much like any other five year old. We'll bet that he'll continue to meet these challenges with his fighting spirit. His mother says the first of those will be school.

Monica Bodden
"Does this mean Tarrell could start school?"

Nicole Mcdougal
"Well I am planning to. It all depends on how it goes from now until September. But I am hoping that he'll remain the same way. For me it will be harder cause I have to keep him under the best conditions where he will be more comfortable."

Tarrell's next checkup is in 8 months.