A TEENAGER who spent more than a year in hospital fighting a life-threatening illness has finally been able to move home.

Chelsea Rowley, 16, was struck down by vasculitis of the central nervous system, which causes swollen blood vessels in the brain, in March 2011.

The teenager was rushed to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, where she remained in a coma for a long time.

She left hospital in May last year but she was unable to return the family home on Jubilee Road, Shildon, County Durham, as it was not big enough to hold the necessary medical equipment.

Instead she became a pupil at The Northern Counties School in Newcastle, which provides residential and day special education for children with complex needs.

Her parents Alan, 36, and Julie, 35, and her 14-year-old brother Daniel travelled daily up to visit her.

Chelsea has now been able to move back home with her family after landlord the Home Group with Durham County Council and the NHS spent £100,000 on improvements to two linked houses on Cedar Grove, Shildon.

Mrs Rowley said: “The illness came from nowhere. She got up one morning and she began to vomit and within two hours she was taken to hospital.

“She was discharged from hospital as it was felt there was nothing else the doctors could do for her but she couldn’t come home as the house was not suitable.

“We’re ecstatic that Chelsea came home and it’s great to have the family back together.

“We’re eternally grateful to Home Group for finding a property and doing all the adaptations which has allowed us to live together as a family again for the first time in two years.”

Chelsea will suffer from the illness for the rest of her life and will continue to attend The Northern Counties School.

Maria Hammond, Home Group’s Durham Homecare co-ordinator, said: “When we heard about the family’s situation we knew we’d like to help.

“The family was settled in the area with Julie and Alan in local jobs, Daniel in school and extended family members close by.

“There was a shortage of suitable homes in the area but when we looked at what we had available we discovered that we had two semis which were empty and suitable for conversion.”