KENNEBUNK, Maine — Eight months ago, young Jackson Kalhbenn's life took an unexpected turn when a fall revealed he had bone cancer.
Fast forward to Easter this year, the celebrations looked a bit different for the Kalhbenn family.
Amid Easter eggs and family gatherings, six-year-old Jackson had another reason to celebrate—walking out of the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, cancer-free.
"We didn’t know eight months ago what the journey was going to be like," Martine Kalbhenn, Jackson's mother, said.
The family hadn't even had a chance to fully unpack their bags Monday after their long stay at the hospital, but it didn't matter, because Jackson was finally back home, for good.
"He spent 66 nights in the hospital. Nineteen hospital stays," Martine Kalbhenn, said.
For eight months and 14 cycles of chemotherapy, Jackson fought a battle that no child should ever have to face.
However, Jackson now bears no trace of bone cancer.
"It's hard to be in the middle of it, it doesn't seem like there is an end... the hospital days are long, every day is like Groundhog Day, and you're just waiting through it," Martine said.
The toll of cancer was evident on Jackson.
He underwent surgery to remove the top half of his left fibula, and while his bone will grow with him, the future remains uncertain.
There's a chance the cancer could return, so Jackson will have to undergo scans every three months and continue with physical therapy.
Despite the uncertainty that lies ahead, for now, Jackson is home—where every six-year-old belongs.