On Christmas day we waited for the call to say that Steve would be allowed home to be with Pauline and the family at his own home. The family had gathered at Pauline and Steve's house and I got the call from Pauline to go and get Steve at PM. Pauline was already with Steve and had got him ready to come home. When I arrived Pauline brought Steve out to the car in his wheel chair. They had both practised getting Steve from his wheel chair and into a car and I had tried out our cars to see which one was suitable to get Steve into and home. Pauline and I assisted Steve to get from his chair and into the car. This had to be done slowly and Steve gritted his teeth and got on with transfer. Once in I buckled him in and then took him the short distance to his house. When we arrived Steve looked out of the car window and said it was great to able to see his house again and he said he felt good being home.

The family all came out to greet him. Pauline and I got him from the car and into his wheelchair. I wheeled him into the house and as you can imagine it was an emotional time for his mum, Pauline, Pauline's mum, his sister and everyone else in the house. When Steve was inside his sisiter Sharon started everyone cheering and clapping him and he was hugged by his mum and all the girls. To see that smile on his face made everyone's Christmas complete and Steve thanked everyone for being there for him and said how great the house looked and how good it felt being back inside it. He told me that he knew he was very lucky to be there and was very thankful for that. I told him that neither I nor any of his family had ever doubted he would one day come back through his front door and that his next goal should be to walk in to his house.
We had a great day and evening. Steve had a brilliant time. More family members came round in the evening. He had a number of phone calls from family who couldn't be there and I got a number of very nice text messages from friends both inside and outside of the Fire Service to wish him well and to ask if he had got home, all of which I showed to Steve.

Steve sat and spoke to his mum and said some very nice and comforting things to her. he reassured her everything was going to be alright. Steve spoke to everyone to say what a great time he was having. During the evening Pauline got us to get Steve up and let him have a walk around his dining room and kitchen. That was to walk off some of his mums apple pie because he had eaten most of it during the day.

When the day came to an end everyone hugged and spoke to Steve saying how well he had done and what a fantastic guy he was and now he had been home he could come home again soon. Steve really wants to and this has definitely spurred him on in his recovery.

Pauline and I got him back to the hospital and Pauline took him back to his room. Later Pauline's mum Breda texted me to say Steve had insisted on walking around the hospital ward before he got into bed and that following this walk around he was resting after having a wonderful day.