A Jackson County family is settling back into life after a very long stay at a hospital a long way from home. It's a homecoming that's been a long time coming.

After two transplants in two years all more than two hours away, nine year old Sean Fox's parents marvel at their little miracle. It's easy to see why.

He races around on his bike, talks constantly about video games, picks up worms and scares his sisters. Sean Fox is a typical nine year old boy in so many ways. But, in countless others, this kid is in a league of his own.

‘Nobody at nine years old should have to go through what he did," says Jon Fox, Sean’s dad.

"At the very, very beginning with Sean, he was born 15 weeks early and spent 81 days in the NIC unit," says Ami Fox, Sean’s mom.

Those 81 days were just the beginning.

"Three years ago, just out of the blue, one of his lungs collapsed," Ami says.

Then doctors found a hole in his heart. Then his other lung collapsed.

"The doctors said his lungs looked like someone's in their 50's or 60's with emphysema. Sean was seven years old," Ami says.

Seven years old and in need of new lungs. Jon and Ami packed up Sean and his two older sisters and moved into a Ronald McDonald House in Minneapolis to wait for a transplant at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital. Turns out the bad news wasn't over.

"His liver was bad enough that it was not going to support him through having a lung transplant and his lungs were bad enough that they would not support a liver transplant."

On February 26, 2006, Sean got new his new lungs. He still needed a liver and now his kidneys were failing.

"He was at death’s door," says Jon.

Then, Ami's phone rang.

"We didn't have a week and Sean wouldn’t have made it,” says Jon.

The doctors had a liver for Sean. On July 15th, he got his new liver.

A little more than three months later, the family said good-bye to the Ronald McDonald House and the hospital.

"Whether we’re back in Black River Falls or in the cities or in Timbuktu, I don’t care, Ami says. “I'm excited for Sean to finally be Sean.

“It's great having my boy back," says Jon. “I have my son back.”

“It feels good that I could come back home,” Sean tells us.

After spending a quarter of his life in a hospital bed, Sean Fox was home.

Sean still gets winded and tires out pretty quickly. But, we're happy to report he's doing so well, he plans on heading back to school next week. He says he can't wait to see all of his friends.