ST. JOSEPH, MO (KCTV) -
A 5-year-old boy is back home with his family after getting a life-saving heart transplant.
Porter Stone had been on the waiting list for more than six months, and he received his new heart June 10. Earlier this year, Porter's father took him from a St. Louis hospital while getting treatment for his heart condition. An Amber Alert was issued and Porter was found in a Chicago suburb and reunited with his family after those frantic hours in May.
His father, aunt and grandmother are facing felony charges in connection with Porter's disappearance.
Now, his family is celebrating another homecoming after Porter and his mom returned to St. Joseph on Monday night. Porter's mom, Tiffany Stone, said her little guy hasn't missed a beat, and is a kid on a mission.
"I just kind of started yelling 'Oh my god, oh my god.'," Tiffany Stone said.
Tiffany Stone was ecstatic the morning of June 10 when she got the call she had been longing for.
"I woke him up, and he was like 'what? What is wrong?'," she said.
There was a new heart waiting for Porter. Following surgery, the family could see and feel a world of difference.
"The first thing he did was feel for his Berlin bag, because it had the pumps, the mechanical heart pump, and he didn't feel them ... he was really happy about that," she said.
Porter's mom said he is a walking miracle. His family embraces him. His aunt, Jessica, adores him. And his 2-year-old sister, Piper, really missed him.
With a cake in hand, Porter's grandma, Dawn, welcomes him home, thankful her grandson is whole and in good spirits.
"I'm just really thankful. I mean that somebody you know would donate a heart from their child so my child could live. It is just awesome," she said. "We are very, very blessed."
Tiffany Stone said Porter has already had his first test done to his new heart and is already showing signs of acceptance.
Porter's father, Jeffrey Stone, his aunt, Heather Minton, and his grandmother, Rhonda Matthews, face three face felony charges of kidnapping, interfering with child custody and child endangerment. Their next hearing is set for July 5.
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