The Pelaw Main teenager will touchdown almost 12 months to the day he received his cancer diagnosis on December 21 last year.

He was admitted to hospital that Christmas Eve to start his treatment.

Johey's recovery will be a slow process - still needing a cocktail of daily pain relief, but gradually managing on less.

His surgical wounds are still healing, but are looking better each day.

"We are delighted to see his appetite returning only just in the last few days," said his mum Emma.

"Johey had a really rough time and was very unwell while not tolerating the formula and tube feeds too well.

"We were very pleased when he ate his first whole meal after 27 days, earlier this week. He has lost 12 kilos since surgery on November 19.

"We are very grateful to Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill for providing us with a comfortable home away from home for the past month, which has certainly made Johey's recovery since discharge a lot easier than it would have been at a motel," Emma said.

"Keeping in touch with family and friends, as well as a lovely care package organised at the "Concert for a Cure" have helped us feel less far away during the difficult times of Johey's recovery.

"In the last two days before leaving Johey had the energy to see a little of the local area and catch up with his mates online. It was so great to see and hear him talking and laughing with his mates.

"He amazes us with his determination to get better and his fighting spirit to beat the odds, which Dr Andrea Hayes-Jordan also commented on after completing his 20 hour surgery."

Emma said the opportunity to go to the USA for Johey's specialist cancer surgery is something the family is extremely grateful for. It has given Johey a better prognosis than he had before surgery.

"As parents, words can't describe the appreciation we feel for everyone that has supported us in Johey's battle for a cure," Emma said.

"In the new year, Johey will still require radiation therapy and ongoing anti-cancer treatment at John Hunter Children's Hospital.

"We very much hope that he can return to the normality of attending school after missing all of Year 8 due to the side-effects of aggressive chemotherapy," she said.

"We've seen that we are coming home to a heatwave, which is sure to be a shock after acclimatising to 10 degree celsius days. Regardless, we're excited because there's no place like home."