AFTER four hard years of fundraising and fighting bureaucratic errors, a family are at last celebrating their disabled son’s return home.

In 2007, Nathan Ellul suffered severe brain damage when he stopped breathing and was taken to the Tadworth Children’s Trust Rehabilitation Centre in Surrey for treatment.

What was originally intended to be a nine month stay in the centre soon turned to years as Nathan’s father, Ian, and mother, Suzanne, fought to raise enough money to make vital alterations to their home in Gascoigne Gardens, Woodford Green, that would enable Nathan to live there safely.

The couple set up the ‘Bring Nathan Home Appeal’ which even had its own Facebook page and in 2010 they finally reached the £60,000 mark needed to start work on the adjustments to their home.

The family were separated as Suzanne lived at the centre with Nathan and his twin sister Gabriella, while Ian lived at the family home.

Waltham Forest Council at last agreed to provide £30,000 towards the cost but with the work on the brink of completion the council cut off payments because the builder contracted submitted invoices in the wrong format.

Covering his own costs, this month the builder finally completed the adjustments, including a specially prepared ground floor bedroom, and after four years away Nathan,who is now five, arrived back home this afternoon.

Mrs Ellul, who is 42, said: “We are absolutely delighted.

“It has been the longest nine months of my life: nine months that turned in to four years. All we want now is to be a family and to be left alone.

“It will take a little while for everyone to adjust but hopefully, in a very short space of time, we will all be a very happy little family.

“We fought hard for what we want and what we want is the best for Nathan. I would say to people who find themselves in a similar situation you have fight hard and be patient enough to wait for it to happen.”