Two years after being rescued by U.S. officials from one of Mexico’s deadliest cities, an 11-year-old boy finally has a heavy burden lifted off his shoulders. Jose Serrano of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, underwent a 12-hour surgery in the U.S. at the University of New Mexico Children’s Hospital to remove a massive tumor 30 centimeters in length and about 4 inches wide, covering his neck, shoulder, and torso. The surgery involved 25 medical professionals made possible with the help of charity, a Baptist church, and the New Mexico governor.

“We are so thrilled. This has been two years in the making,” said Kristean Alcocer, Spanish ministry coordinator for the First Baptist Church of Rio Rancho, Reuters reported.

Alcocer, who houses the boy, was involved in part of the effort to bring Jose to the U.S. for treatment two years ago. Jose was under sedation and in intensive care following the operation, Alcocer told Reuters, adding his medical bills and expenses had been paid for through donations.

Jose was born with a “lump as big as his head,” according to his mother Cindy Serrano, who admitted it was difficult to hold him because doctors said he wouldn’t survive, the Daily Mail reported. The boy was diagnosed with venous lymphangioma, which is considered congenital and most commonly seen in childhood. Approximately one-third of these cases are identified in the first weeks of life, like Jose’s, according to an issue in Essentials in Ophthalmology.

Prior to his surgery, in an effort to shrink the tumor, part of Jose’s treatment was taking the sex pill Viagra. The drug has been shown to reduce the size of tumors in children and appeared to noticeably shrink the boy’s tumor, too. The goal of this treatment was to get the tumor down to a size at which it could be safely surgically removed, according to The Huffington Post. Continual growth has led to cysts — some of which were on his lungs and close to his windpipe — which doctors fear could travel to his heart.

“We've tried to let Jose lead as normal a life as possible. We let him do everything the other children do, unless it's unsafe for him or will be too difficult,” Cindy said in November. The sex pill and the recent surgery has given him a chance to lead a normal life.

His plight has drawn the support of Susana Martinez, the New Mexico Governor, who asked federal officials to extend his stay in the U.S. so he could continue treatment. Jose needs surgeries to reconstruct his shoulder bone and to remove excess skin. Jose’s dad, also named Jose, and Cindy are permitted to visit the country for up to 10 years under the visas, but his parents travel back and forth from their home in Mexico.