HILLSBOROUGH -- A well-known superior court judge was back on the bench Monday after taking an extensive medical leave to battle cancer.
Judge Carl Fox, 62, was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer in April 2015.
"They had given me three months to live, and I started to get my affairs in order," he said.
He and his girlfriend started "Save the Fox" campaign, hosting several bone marrow drives to help Fox and others find matches. Though he never found the perfect match, Fox instead received donated stem cells last September and stepped down from the bench for medical treatment.
Doctors aren't saying he's cancer-free just yet, but Fox says his health is getting better.
"My message is whatever way you can donate, donate."
"It's been a miracle quite frankly, and I think there's no one in the world who's deserved a miracle more than Carl Fox," said Jim Woodall, district attorney for Orange and Chatham counties.
Fox received a standing ovation before he started the court docket Monday in Hillsborough. He said it's going to take time for him to get back into the routine.
"It was so exciting to see him back standing behind that bench," said Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood.
For more on the "Save the Fox" campaign, click here.
To learn about becoming a bone marrow donor, click here.