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Nate Draper, a 10-month-old born with a potentially fatal heart complication, was released Thursday from Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA due to an improvement in his condition that his doctors described as nearly miraculous.

Nate and his identical twin brother, Nick, were born in their hometown of Phoenix with a rare and life-threatening heart condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy, which weakens the heart muscle and causes it to pump less efficiently.

They were both brought to UCLA Medical Center within the first week after their birth.

Nick was immediately placed on the heart transplant list, but Nate was initially not eligible for a transplant because he was suffering from hemorrhagic bleeding in his brain.

When Nate became healthy enough, he was placed on the list behind his brother, who received a transplant on Feb. 16 and has since recovered and has returned home.

In March, Nate’s doctors said his condition began to worsen and he would need a heart transplant as soon as possible.

But recently Nate’s condition has improved and doctors said he has been taken off all intravenous heart medications and is no longer actively awaiting a heart transplant.

“This is as close to a miraculous recovery as I can think of,” said Dr. Mark Plunkett, surgical director of UCLA’s Pediatric Heart Transplant Program, in a statement Thursday. “We plan to study Nate’s case in the hopes that we can gather information that may help other children with cardiomyopathy and heart failure.”

There is a chance that Nate may not need a heart transplant in the near future, or for years to come, said Dr. Juan Alejos, medical director of UCLA’s Pediatric Heart Transplant Program, during a press conference Thursday.

“I think we’ve come to a light at the end of the tunnel,” Alejos said.

Alejos called Nate’s recovery an amazing turnaround.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen something like this,” he said.

The drastic improvement in Nate’s condition is tempered by test results that seem to show Nate’s eyes are not communicating with his brain.

Alejos said they are not certain whether Nate has lost his vision, but said brainwave tests have indicated Nate does not respond to visual stimulation.

Doctors do not know exactly if or why Nate may be blind, but said his vision may have been damaged during the brain hemorrhage from which he suffered.

Nate’s parents, Michael and Nicole Draper, received the news about their son’s condition optimistically.

“(Nate’s improvement) is truly amazing,” the twins’ father said.

Even with the chance that Nate might not be able to see, Michael Draper said he was hopeful that everything would work out well.

“Nate already defies odds,” he said.

But Nate’s doctors said his condition is not yet perfect.

Though Nate will be returning with his parents to UCLA’s Tiverton House, he will still be on medication and will undergo continued evaluations to determine the condition of both his heart and his ability to see, Alejos said.

“I can’t say we’re totally out of the woods yet,” he said.

Nonetheless, Nate’s parents, who are scheduled to return to their home in Phoenix this June, said they are looking forward to having all of their family in the same room.