A doctor returns home to El Paso, after seeing patients from his hometown leaving to big cities for treatment.

He's brought his innovative expertise to the area, and in the process, changed the life of one very grateful little boy.

"Sad, sometimes I felt lonely, and I had horrible pain at night and day," said Ridley Dean, a patient at the El Paso's Children's Hospital.

He is just 8 years old. He's fought through more than many full grown adults have at his young age. Ridley was born with Hirschsprung's disease -- in short, a blockage of the large intenstine that doesn't allow it to properly function.

He had complications until about the age of 5. Then, he got better for a couple years, allowing him to go live with his mother in Mexico.

"But then, about 3 to 4 months ago, his condition got really bad," said Ridley's grandmother, Rose Ramirez.

A new problem developed, leaving little Ridley with chronic pain -- even the emergency room couldn't provide relief.

Days later, Ridley was admitted into El Paso's Children's Hospital.

"This beautiful doctor came into the picture and said, I want to do this for your son," said Ramirez.

That doctor, is Dr. Aldo Maspons, director of the endoscopy suite at the EPCH. An El Paso native, Dr. Maspons previously worked in Dallas and Houston -- and saw many patients from his hometown traveling there to get the treatments they needed.

"I realized then that there was a big need or a big vaccuum of need in El Paso, so it was then that I decided that I needed to come back," said Dr. Maspons.

Dr. Maspons went in and did a procedure he thought could help Ridley.

"When he did the procedure, he found out there was another underlying problem that was causing the pain and they think it is another disease called Chron's," said Paul Dean, Ridley's father.

There's still no final diagnosis -- but since this last procedure, Ridley's family has seen a world of difference.

Ridley's gained almost 40 pounds, and is no longer plagued by the constant pain -- and they credit it all to Dr. Aldo Maspons -- who in his spare time calls the family personally to check up on Ridley.

"We may have only met him a few months ago but still, he helped me a lot," said Ridley.

"I can't thank him enough, for what he's done for my son," said his father Paul.

"Same for me. I bless him every time I see him, I thank him every time I see him. He says 'It's not necessary, it's my job,' but I think he went far and beyond what he has to do," said Ramirez.