A North East mum has welcomed her son back home alongside her family nearly three years after she was told he would not return.

June Hackett, along with her family, welcomed her son Kristopher back to her home in Hartburn, Stockton, for the first time today (January 26) since he suffered a cardiac arrest in 2021.

Kristopher (known by friends as 'Krissy'), 33, was rushed to hospital after falling ill while making his mother a cup of tea, before a ‘do not resuscitate’ order was placed on her son without her consent.

The Northern Echo: Kristopher Hackett with his mum June and sisters, Stacey Shaw (L), Becky (R) Megan, and niece Freya

After fighting for two years to have the order removed, succeeding, and then campaigning for his return home, Mrs Hackett said it was “absolutely amazing” to have her son return.

She said: “[It’s] his first visit through the door in nearly three years, [that] was the last time he came through the door. It’s just so amazing that his family [can] come round and see him come home.

“I’ve won every battle that I’ve gone for, got the DNR removed, got the funding for Krissy to come home, he’s survived more than what North Tees [hospital] originally said he would.

“We’ve been waiting for this for over two years now. It’s better than winning the lottery.

“It’s the greatest gift on this Earth that I could receive."

The Northern Echo: June and Kristopher

Mrs Hackett added she was told by the hospital her son would not survive for two days, let alone come home.

She had been given the greenlight to bring her son home for a two-hour visit back in December after funding was successfully secured.

Speaking on her brother’s return, Stacey Shaw said it was good to have brother back home in familiar surroundings.

She said: “Hopefully, it will help bring on any responses if there is any.

“It’s good to see him finally back home, I think the last time I’ve seen him home was Christmas, so it’s good to see him in the family home with us all.”

The Northern Echo: June and Kristopher

Mrs Hackett and Mrs Shaw both praised the care provided to Kristopher by staff at Hawthorn’s Care Home in Peterlee since he came into their care in June 2022.

Mrs Hackett said she could not speak highly enough of the care home and added her son had “come on leaps and bounds” since being there.

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“We’ve seen things with Krissy that doctors have said would never happen. They said that he would never open his eyes, he would never move, he’s done most of the things doctors have said that he wouldn’t,” Mrs Hackett added.

“At the end of the day, I believe in miracles, we all believe in miracles.

“We do believe that there may be further improvement to come.”