星空传媒

After two stem cell transplants, one cell boost and more than a year of being confined to a bed, Jonathan Pitre is finally leaving the hospital.

The Ottawa-area teenager, known as the 鈥淏utterfly Boy,鈥� because the rare skin disorder he suffers makes his skin as fragile as a butterfly, was discharged from the University of Minnesota Masonic Children鈥檚 Hospital on Monday.

鈥淔irst I didn鈥檛 really believe it, just because two weeks ago it didn鈥檛 look like it was any kind of close,鈥� Pitre told CTV News Channel鈥檚 Scott Laurie on Wednesday.

鈥淭hen we kind of started to kind of swallow it 鈥� but it was like swallowing a big horse. It took a while for us to kind of get out of our stupor and really believe it 鈥�

Pitre was born with , an incurable genetic disorder that causes his skin to easily tear and constantly break into blisters. He has spent the past 15 years undergoing countless treatments and operations to improve his condition and quality of life.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a walk in the park, I can tell you that,鈥� Pitre said. 鈥淲hen they tell you it鈥檒l be one of the toughest things you鈥檒l ever do, you believe it.鈥�

A year ago, the 17-year-old and his mother, Tina Boileau, travelled to Minneapolis for an experimental stem cell transfusion at the hospital.

Although the first transplant was unsuccessful, a second one in April proved more promising, his mother said in .

鈥淚t鈥檚 been probably the most trying time in our lives, I mean it really challenges everything you believe in,鈥� Boileau said.

鈥淪eeing your child going through so many difficult times and just not being able to do anything to help, but at the same time holding onto hope that things are going to turn around and this is his best chance at a better quality of life.鈥� 

Months later, Pitre is healing.

鈥淭hankfully we saw some improvement in Jonathan鈥檚 skin quite a few months ago, so that was something we were holding onto,鈥� Boileau said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been through so many other complications that could鈥檝e been very discouraging at times.鈥�

On Thanksgiving Day, of her son exiting the hospital through a pair of open doors along with an inspirational quote from an unknown author.

鈥淭oday I am thankful that you never give up... You are the epitome of strength, determination and courage,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淭oday I close the door to the past, open the door to the future, take a deep breath, step on through and start a new chapter of my life.鈥�

Boileau said that throughout the process, her son鈥檚 perseverance and determination 鈥渟hone through.鈥�

The symbolic post was met with hundreds of comments filled with warm wishes and hopes that Pitre will be able to return home for good.

A few weeks earlier, on Pitre鈥檚 condition in which she said his skin was 鈥渉ealing in ways it has never before.鈥�

鈥淣ow that the skin is behaving and doing what all of this was supposed to do, the rest of his body will follow,鈥� Boileau wrote. 鈥淲e, along with the team of doctors, think this will be a turning point in Jonathan鈥檚 recovery.鈥�

After being discharged from the hospital, Pitre is now spending nights with his mother in their Minneapolis apartment, Boileau told CTV News Channel.

鈥淲e are far from being home, but we are discharged and into an apartment which is a lot farther . . . than a few weeks ago,鈥� she said. 

鈥淭here was a rule in our room where you don鈥檛 discuss the d-word. Discharge was just something you do not discuss, because every time that we mentioned it things would not work out. Jonathan should have been discharged last week but unfortunately he had fevers, and it鈥檚 always been more complications over complications.鈥�

 Since being discharged, Pitre says he鈥檚 been feeling well.

鈥淚鈥檓 going good,鈥� he told CTV News Channel. 鈥淪omething just clicked and it turned it around, and I鈥檝e been feeling better ever since. And so it鈥檚 very encouraging that鈥檚 for sure.鈥�

With files from Daksha Rangan