“I can’t remember feeling this excited ever in my whole entire life,” family friend Rachael Kleindienst said.

Hannah touched down in a private jet, chartered on the goodwill of Armidale Services Club and the community on Thursday.

Her aunt and sister rushed across the tarmac for a long-awaited hug.

And, there wasn’t a dry eye at the arrivals gate.

Welcome signs, balloons and smiles greeted Hannah inside the airport.

Her return comes after the 11-year-old was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and would need a heart transplant to survive.

The phone call that Hannah would receive a life-saving gift came in November.

And, since the heart transplant every biopsy has continued to show improvement.

“Hannah has wanted to come home since the first three minutes of leaving,” Ms Kliendienst said.

“They’re Armidale people, this is where they’ve always been.

“Kristy [Hannah’s mother] and I have been best mates all of our lives, I feel like personally I have totally lost my right arm.

“She’s the person who keeps us all together, I can’t wait for my best mate to come back.”

It’s the support of the community that made Hannah’s journey bearable, Ms Kliendienst said.

“Armidale as a whole has got this girl home, and without that support who knows where we’d be,” she said.

“The whole community has been behind Hannah.”

Going forward, Hannah will need to have continual biopsies to check that her heart is healthy.

Her nerves were damaged during the transplant surgery and she lost the use of her lower limbs.

As a result, Hannah will continue to undergo physiotherapy to regain her mobility.

Her recovery will continue under the watchful eye of healthcare professionals in Armidale.

And, the caring community that supported her through it all.