Sarah Murnaghan Released Home After 2 Lung Surgeries and 6 Months in Hospital

Sarah Murnaghan, the 11-year-old Pennsylvania girl whose family plea to override the transplant rules and drew widespread national attention, has finally been released home from hospital after suffering to surgeries.

Murnaghan left The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and was carried into her family's Newtown Square home, which was decked out with balloons and "welcome home" signs, according to KVOA news.

Sarah, who has cystic fibrosis, received two sets of lungs this summer as she struggled with the effects of end-stage cystic fibrosis. She still has the disease, but it will not infiltrate her new lungs, which her parents said were working well. Murnaghan thanked the donors whose lungs she received after her parents sued to change national transplant policy.

"Sarah's looking forward to being a normal little kid," said her mother, Janet, who said her daughter once enjoyed soccer and skating. "We're looking forward to a nice long life: going to college, getting married and everything we dream about for our other kids."

The average life expectancy for cystic fibrosis patients is 37 years and continues to rise as new medical advances are developed. Lung transplants do not cure the condition but can extend the patient's life.

The Murnaghans vowed to continue to advocate for permanent changes to the transplant rules. Sarah, meanwhile, will be starting fifth-grade through at-home instruction, while continuing with physical therapy and other rehabilitation.