Owen Coulter is a fighter.
"He's just been proving that every day,” his father, Darin Coulter, said.
The fighting spirit runs in his blood.
“Basically, he's almost back to 100 percent,” Darin, who is an Austin firefighter, said.
Owen is alive even after a truly heart-stopping medical emergency.
"I immediately stopped, and I began to pray,” his mother, Kristin Coulter, said.
Owen went into cardiac arrest at Dell Children’s Medical Center just before Christmas last year.
Doctors said a virus with flu-like symptoms attacked his heart.
"I yelled for Owen,” Kristin said. “I cried out for Owen. I told him to stay with us. I told him I loved him. And I asked God to save him.”
Nurses performed CPR for more than an hour. Doctors hooked up an oxygenation machine.
“And it worked,” Darin said. “They stabilized him. His heart was beating on his own."
Fifty-six days in the hospital later, he is surrounded by other superheroes, being discharged.
"We've felt the prayers,” Kristin said.
Doctors are amazed.
“I've never seen anything this incredible before,” Dr. Patrick Ryan said. “It just warms my heart to see Owen and his family -- able to go home today.”
A long journey still awaits.
"Right now, we're just waiting for his legs to wake up,” Darin said.
Rehab could take months or even years. But with such a strong support system, Owen is on his way to recovery.
"Going from him dying on that table to him being Owen again, being 100 percent -- that's the miracle,” Darin said.
The Coulters started a fund with Dell Children's Medical Center. It benefits equipment for inpatient rehab. To learn more, click here.