For the past two nights, we've been telling you about Katarina Ishim - the 12 year old girl from San Pablo village who had a massive tumor removed from her face in the US.
Today she surprised everyone when she made touchdown at the Phillip Goldson International Airport - tumor Free. 7news was there to capture the moment.
Juan Ishim, Grandfather
"I am very excited and I am very happy. I can't describe how happy I am to be at home with my granddaughter Katarina. She is very well now."
Monica Bodden
"I understand that you guys actually had even getting Katarina abroad. Tell us what was the procedures done while being there?"
Juan Ishim, Grandfather
"They have been struggling for 2 years and 3 months for Katarina's tumor. Although it is very but since up to today she is okay - the tumor was removed although I am 10 months away from home - it is very hard and very challenging."
Dr. Rick Glover, Pediatrician
"It's been great, Katarina have been a lot of fun to deal with and have lived with us. The surgeries and chemotherapy was very hard on Katarina and the length away from home was tough for both of them. They talked a lot about coming home. They wanted to be home but we just had to persevere through this. From a medical standpoint, looks like she is totally free from cancer. She got some disabilities to work with but you are around her for about 10 minutes you realize she is not very disable at all. She's been reading and doing her school work in Tennessee and trying to keep up so she could get back into school in January and go right on like a normal child from San Pablo. She is ready to go on with life."
"One surgery was 20 hours long and about in 4 days she had about 40 hours of surgery. She didn't remember any of it which is great - we remember all of it. Juan and I and my family had to struggle with that but once she got out of the hospital - within 3 weeks of all these major surgeries she was at our house. Still no wanting to eat much - we slowly got her nutritional stuff. She has been a trooper through everything, very brave, very strong, very dedicated to getting around and getting home."
Juan Ishim, Grandfather
"She finds very hard, we are struggling too much. She doesn't know what happen, she was sleeping. For the first day she came out of the surgery at 3am in the morning and then she woke up at 3pm in the evening. Then from there I call her name, she heard her name but couldn't speak. I ask her if she could hear me and she responded by shaking her head. When she needs my help she rang the bell, when she rang the bell then I know that she needs help - that is how we manage at the hospital."
Monica Bodden
"Mr. Ishim, you were with Katarina since day one throughout everything. Do you consider her to be a miracle?"
Juan Ishim, Grandfather
"Yes exactly, I am with her throughout everything in her life. It is stress, it is very hard like I said but with the help of God we did it. It's a miracle. When things happens it happens - one after the other. She will be going back to school, everything is normal like before. Everything is okay although she loses her left eye and part of her nose but she is still Katarina. She is still just like me, just like everybody."
Monica Bodden
"How does it feel to be back home Katarina?"
Katarina Ishim
"I am happy; I just want to thank Belize for the help."
Monica Bodden
"You can't wait to go back to your village and see your friends and family and everyone?"
Katarina Ishim
"Yes."
Monica Bodden
"You want to get back to school?"
Katarina Ishim
"Yes."
Monica Bodden
"What class are you in?"
Katarina Ishim
"Standard 5."
Reporter
"How was it over in Tennessee?"
Katarina Ishim
"It's good, I like it."
Juan Ishim, Grandfather
"I just want to say thank you very much to all my brothers and sisters who help struggle with Katarina - all the churches are praying for her. I am so happy and I know that everybody will be seeing it through the channel how Katarina looks like - she is still Katarina, she is save by the grace of God. I thank the doctors and nurses here in Belize. They tried very hard and I will always remember them in my prayer - they did everything to help Katarina. I am very thankful, I cannot describe how much I am very happy to thank the doctors and nurses and all who donated money to help Katarina. I can't pay my brothers and sisters but I know God will pay them back God will reward who donated with their whole heart."
On Sunday, a special church service will be held for Katarina in her home village of San Pablo in southern Belize.
