Columbia Falls High School senior Gabby DeLorme is back home after battling cancer since August.

DeLorme was diagnosed with leukemia last Aug. 7, just two days before the start of football practice. He spent over nine months at a Seattle Hospital.

He had hoped to return home in April, but this was delayed after his recent blood count numbers were low, said high school principal Scott Gaiser.

 DeLorme had his last round of chemotherapy treatment at the end of March.

Also, a month ago, DeLorme celebrated his 18th birthday.

Marcia Deirueste, a friend of the family, posted a birthday message on his GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/jbbyfbp8.

“Today you have earned the right of passage to become a man. Your perseverance and tenacity is a force to be reckoned with,” she said.“Last week was perhaps one of the toughest yet, and there is little doubt that, in time, Gabby will look back on his 18th birthday with mixed emotions.”

DeLorme got the news Friday that he was able to return home. 

His father Dean DeLorme, who stopped working to be with his son during the treatment, was driving them home on Monday.

“We’re just really happy to come back and be done over there,” Dean said. It will take a while to settle back in after being gone for so long, he said.