BEND, Ore. -- One month after a brutal attack in Ecuador, an Oregon man is walking, talking and out of the hospital.

Leis' father told KTVZ called his son's recovery "miraculous."

Leis was stabbed at least 18 times and his fiance Leah Koehn was brutally attacked as they walked on the beach in the small South American coastal community of Emeraldas, Ecuador last week.

Leis spent the past month recovering at Loma Linda Hospital in Los Angeles after being flown to the United States in a Medivac plane.

At first, it appeared that Britt would not survive, but he made it through surgery and was flown to a hospital in the U.S. on Tuesday.

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"I'll walk into that room and kiss Britt's face," Britt's father, Ronald Leis said, tearing up. "I just can't imagine."

According to family members, Britt and Leah had planned a year-long trip to Ecuador during their engagement. Before the attack, they hadn't feared for their safety.

"They stabbed him 18 times, starting at the throat and moving down, step by step. Then they started to beat Leah... then, without any warning, they left,” said Britt's father.

Leah ran for help. Britt was eventually transported to a hospital in the capitol city of Quito where he underwent a 12-hour surgery and was fighting infection. Doctors had said he may not survive the surgeries, but he made it through and soon stabilized enough for transport to a U.S. hospital.

On Tuesday morning following surgery, the couple's family got a glimmer of hope. “Britt opened his eyes and that’s the first response we have had from him since going into the hospital in Quito [for surgery],” Leis said. “So this is all good news.”

Once he was stabilized after surgery, Britt and Leah were flown to Miami, Florida and then on to Southern California where Britt was taken to Loma Linda Medical Center for specialized treatement. His sister is a doctor at the well-known Calif. hospital.

It was unclear when Britt would be strong enough to be moved to a hospital in Bend.

According to the U.S. State Department website, at least 10 Americans have been kidnapped near the Ecuador Columbia border since 1998.

No word yet on any arrests or suspects.

U.S. Embassy information officer Martha Youth confirmed Tuesday that two Americans were attacked and said the embassy has worked with the hospital to ensure quality care.

"We were really shocked, it was a horrible incident," Youth told The Associated Press. "We express our deepest sympathies to the victims and their families."

According to the U.S. State Department Web site, at least 10 Americans have been kidnapped near the Ecuador-Columbia border since 1998.