Kyle St. Clair, a 6-year-old boy from Scarborough, has spent the past three months at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, receiving treatment for a serious medical condition.

On Saturday, thanks to the support of volunteers and the community, his family will be together for Christmas, at home.

Additional Photos

Kyle St. Clair, second from left, will be home in Scarborough for Christmas with his family, including his mother Kate, sister Alexis, brother Jackson and his father, Mark St. Clair. Family photo

Kyle St. Clair, 6, of Scarborough Family photo

This week, a fundraiser at Portland Pie Co. brought in enough money to help the St. Clairs cover medical and travel expenses so they can focus on what’s most important: family.

Kyle was born prematurely and spent his first nine months in Maine Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. He has lung disease and severe dysmotility, a disease of the muscles in his digestive system.

Kyle lost the use of his stomach when he was 3 years old. He has had 14 surgeries, and now has an intravenous line that pumps nutrition into his tiny body.

With few options left, Kyle’s mother, Kate St. Clair, moved to Columbus with her son in October to seek treatment from a specialist there. She had to leave her 9-year-old daughter, Alexis, and 4-year-old son, Jackson, at home with her husband, Mark St. Clair.

Kyle’s story has captured the hearts of local residents, who packed Portland Pie Co. in Scarborough on Tuesday for a fundraiser to help offset the family’s expenses. The event raised more than $5,000.

“It shows you the power of Kyle,” his mother said Thursday. “He is an amazing child who wants to live and be happy. There’s something about Kyle that makes you want to be a better person. … Every time I feel like I can’t do this, I’m renewed by knowing that people have our back.”

Portland Pie, which holds monthly fundraisers for local causes, donated $2 from every pizza it sold, $1 for every Shipyard beer and Capt’n Eli’s Root Beer, and 100 percent of the proceeds from soup sales.

Portland Pie also had a raffle and sold gift baskets donated by businesses. Steve Freese, co-owner of Portland Pie, said the restaurant was full from 3 to 11 p.m. and the line of customers extended outside for four hours. He said it was the most Portland Pie had ever raised at a charitable event.

“It was amazing to see, especially this time of year,” Freese said. “To have them be together for Christmas it puts everything into perspective.”

The family was reunited on Sunday after Angel Flight, a nonprofit organization of pilots and volunteers, flew Kyle and his mother home. Kyle was then admitted to Maine Medical Center and returned home Tuesday afternoon.

Kate St. Clair said the outpouring of support from the community has helped her cope with the emotional toll of the ordeal.

“It keeps us going,” she said. “There are days when his pain is so excruciating that it’s hard to take. Then, I turn around and there’s a message on the machine, or a cake that someone brought by. Those things make a huge difference because I can put my focus where it needs to be.”

St. Clair said it has been nice to have her family under one roof.

It will be short-lived, though. In less than 10 days, St. Clair and her husband will fly back to Columbus with Kyle, who will undergo another extensive surgery on Jan. 5.

“It’s not just another year for us,” she said. “It’s huge. The reality is that Kyle lives day to day. We know this could be his last Christmas, and we’re making sure this will be the best Christmas the kids have ever had.”

Staff Writer Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at:

mcreamer@pressherald.com

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