Home / News / Viral & Trending Chicago toddler finally goes home after spending 3 years in the hospital ABC 7 Chicago "He's two years and 10 months, and he's been in a hospital since he's been born." By Cassandra Stone October 14, 2022 ABC 7 Chicago Rectangle After spending his entire life inside the walls of a hospital, Chicago toddler Francesco Bruno finally gets to go home with his family. For the last two years and 10 months, Francesco has been battling a rare, life-threatening condition. Born with skeletal dysplasia, the genetic disorder affected his bones and muscles to the point where the little boy had to rely on a trach and ventilator to breathe and feeding tubes to eat. Though the severity of the condition varies from child to child, it can cause the irregular growth of arms and legs, clubfoot, and bowlegs. In Francesco’s case, it specifically affects his ribs, which makes it difficult for his lungs to grow correctly, according to WFLD News. Related: Premature baby finally gets to go home after spending 460 days in the NICU This week, however, he finally got to go home to be with his family—which includes six brothers and sisters. He’s actually the second child in the Bruno family born with skeletal dysplasia. His older brother passed away from the condition one week after he was born. “The fact that we are even standing here, almost three years later, talking about him is already a miracle in and of itself, in my opinion,” said Francesco’s father, Emanuele Bruno. When he was born, doctors weren’t optimistic about Francesco’s progress. “They told us [when] he was going to be born, he was only going to live for 30 minutes,” Francesco’s mother, Priscilla Bruno, tells CBS News. “It’s really a miracle he’s with us today.” Related: Mom opens hair salon in hospital to offer NICU parents some much-needed pampering While Francesco’s homegoing is certainly a reason to celebrate, his recovery will continue there. Hospital staff tells ABC 7 that his family is trained and equipped to give him the care he needs. “It just shows how much hard work he has put in, how much hard work his family has put in. They do so much,” said La Rabida Speech Language Pathologist Jenny Winberg. “He’s two years and 10 months, and he’s been in a hospital since he’s been born. We’ve been waiting for this a long time, and it’s kind of surreal that it’s happening,” Maggie Sladick, an occupational therapist at La Rabida Children’s Hospital, tells WFLD. It was a moment that his parents have waited for since the day Francesco was born. “We’re very happy, nervous, tense, scared, overwhelmed, really happy, overjoyed,” Emanuele tells CBS News. “It’s just a melting pot of emotions.” The latest Celebrity News Drew Barrymore shares vulnerable post revealing why she took away her tween daughter’s phone Viral & Trending This mom’s viral video explains why she’s ‘opting out’ of homework for her child Celebrity News Bindi Irwin gracefully handles the question of whether she plans to have more kids News Biden-Harris administration awards over $558 million toward maternal mental health