A young boy in Rockville, Maryland, got the sweetest welcome back to school after a stay in the hospital.
Four-year-old Ethan Blicher was in the hospital for two weeks.
And when he returned to preschool, he received an adorable surprise: a group hug from his classmates.
As he walked back into his Maryland preschool, young Blicher was greeted immediately by his happy, welcoming classmates — and it was all captured on video. (See the video at the top of this article.)
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Blicher’s mother Jamie Blicher told Fox News Digital that Ethan and his twin brother Bennett have a mitochondrial disease, which causes them to be more susceptible to infection.
"Bennett and Ethan were both diagnosed with the same very rare mitochondrial disease this year," she said in an interview.
Jamie Blicher said that in early October, both boys came down with a virus — putting them in the hospital for weeks.
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"Ethan recovered quickly, but Bennett had a harder time fighting the infection," she said.
Ethan was able to leave the hospital after two weeks. He said he wanted to go back to school and play with his friends.
"Going back to school provided Ethan with the friendships and playmates he so needed," she said.
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She said the teachers and the children in class were all so excited to see Ethan.
"The children in class [had] been reading books about a friend going to the hospital," she said.
Ethan’s brother, Bennett, is still in the hospital recovering.
"They have been making ‘feel better’ videos and writing letters to Bennett," she said.
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The mom said that Bennett will be in the hospital for at least three more weeks as his body rehabilitates.
On a day-to-day basis, mom Jamie Blicher said the boys each have different side effects from the disease.
Ethan has some speech issues, while Bennett deals with tone and motor issues.
However, Blicher said the boys are both social, emotional and intelligent — enjoying all the things that four-year-old kids typically love.
Blicher said she and her husband Brian have had a tough year processing all the health information about their boys.
"We are learning as much as we can, taking the advice of experts, seeking therapy to process together and enjoying our amazing, beautiful and perfect four-year-olds," she said.
