WLWT News 5 reports that a local 12-year-old is finally home after spending five days in a hospital fighting a serious illness because of something he ate at a local restaurant.

The Scheible family said 12-year-old Mitchell Scheible was hospitalized after a bout of E. coli made him sick for several weeks.

“When you are awakened in the middle of the night by, ‘Hey, I don’t feel good mom,’ you expect throwing up or whatever but when you go and find blood everywhere — I immediately called the doctor,” Mitchell’s mother, Evie Scheible, said.

The family had gone to dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse in Green Township about a week and a half before Christmas.

After an investigation by the Health Department and the cooperation of the restaurant it was determined that a bad batch of lettuce was the culprit.

E. coli was found on some salad that made Mitchell and four others very sick.

Mitchell lost 16 pounds during the ordeal, making it hard to bounce back as he tries to play basketball.

“My coaches have been nervous because every time I start playing I get all pale and weak; so, yeah it’s been tough,” Mitchell said.

Evie Scheible said, “The key is knowing your child. He’s a tough kid. When he came to me with tears and the blood — you normally don’t see bloody stools.”