Jacob LaRose almost didn’t make it to pre-K.

Jake’s mother, Kimberly LaRose, is still unsure just how her 4-year-old son, as well as 2-year-old daughter Hayden, came into contact with E. coli O157.

Both Hayden and Jake fell ill with diarrhea in March, but when their pediatrician noted how sick Jake looked, the family took him straight to the ER.

They didn’t leave until Memorial Day weekend.

He stayed in the hospital three more weeks to recover. Kimberly and her husband, Brian, traded visiting hours, but one parent was always with Jake, and the other could Skype to say hello or goodnight. His little sister wasn’t able to visit him for six weeks.