Aurora theater shooting victim Caleb Medley is expected to leave a rehabilitation center and return to his home on Jan. 23, the day before his birthday.

“The hospital is planning on sending Caleb home … if everything goes according to plan! Keep your fingers crossed!”according to the Support Caleb Facebook page.

Medley, a 23-year-old aspiring comedian who suffered a gunshot wound to the head, was discharged from the University of Colorado Hospital on Sept. 12 and moved to an extended care facility in Denver.

His wife, Katie Medley, who was not injured, gave birth to their son, Hugo, five days after the attack at the Century Aurora 16 movie theater.

Hugo, who is named after a character on the television series “Lost,” will turn 6 months old on Jan. 24.

Caleb Medley, from Florence, lost an eye in the attack and suffered brain damage. For a time he was in a medically induced coma.

On Monday, during a preliminary hearing for James Holmes, who is accused of killing 12 and wounding dozens more at the theater, Aurora Police Officer Justin Grizzle described rushing Medley to the hospital in his patrol car.

Medley was barely breathing and Grizzle said he could sense the life slipping from him. “Don’t you (expletive) die on me,” Grizzle said he yelled back at Medley when he couldn’t hear him breathing.

Medley is improving but has a long way to go, according to a post on the web site dated Dec. 28. “A few weeks ago the rehab team was able to stand Caleb up and he stood on his own power for a few seconds! They are working very hard every day to get him back to baseline. Unfortunately, he is not able to speak again yet, but he is having speech therapists working with him multiple times a day.”

Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671, tmcghee@denverpost.com or twitter.com/dpmcghee