Boy, 5, Released from Hospital After Teacher Donated Liver to Save Him: 'He’s in Really Good Spirits' (Exclusive)

Ezra Toczek's mother, Karen, tells PEOPLE her son is “doing well now,” and “slowly gaining his strength back"

• Ezra Toczek, 5, was in need of a liver transplant after suffering from end-stage liver disease

• In May, his former preschool teacher, Carissa Fisher, was approved to be a living donor for him and the pair underwent their procedures in August

• Ezra's mother Karen exclusively tells PEOPLE Ezra is "doing well now" after 45 days in the PICU

Five-year-old Ezra Toczek has been discharged from the hospital after receiving a liver transplant.

In May, Ezra learned that his former preschool teacher, Carissa Fisher, had been approved as a living donor and could donate a portion of her liver to help him. (A living-donor liver transplant occurs when a patient with a healthy liver donates a portion of theirs to someone whose liver no longer works properly, per the Mayo Clinic.)

Ezra suffered liver damage at birth and has been fighting ongoing health challenges, leading to his recent diagnosis of end-stage liver disease. He was put on the transplant list in February.

Fisher, 21, learned of Ezra's prognosis and applied to be a living donor in March. By May, she was approved and quickly told the Toczek family the good news.

Related: 4-Year-Old Girl Reunites with Dad After Getting Lost While Trying to Walk to Grandma’s House

Since their mid-August procedures, Ezra and Fisher have been discharged from the hospital. Fisher has settled back home in Western New York. Ezra was released on Friday, Sept. 20, after four surgeries (the liver transplant and three additional procedures) and 45 days in the PICU (pediatric intensive care unit).

Ezra remains at a facility near the hospital for the next “several weeks, while he recovers,” his mother, Karen Thorpe Toczek, exclusively tells PEOPLE.

She adds that Ezra “had a few post-op complications that kept him in the hospital longer than originally expected, but his new liver doing really well!” Her son is “doing well now,” and “slowly gaining his strength back," Karen adds.

She explains that Ezra has “been through a lot, and at times [she] can see the toll it’s taken mentally, but overall, he’s in really good spirits.” Ezra is adjusting to life post-op, including “a new medication regimen, follow-up appointments and blood work," his mother says.

Karen tells PEOPLE that the rest of their “family has been doing really well at home," adding, “I’m so proud of my husband and kids."

“We have an amazing village of support rallying around us through this,” she says.

Ezra also saw Fisher “a couple of times while she was still recovering in the hospital, and she visited a few more times while she was still in the city for follow-up care," Karen says. She notes that they “check in frequently” with Fisher.

Related: 10-Year-Old Girl Dying of Kidney Disease to Receive Transplant From Teacher

Fisher exclusively tells PEOPLE that she “can’t wait for Ezra to be home so [she] can give him a big hug!”

Since the surgery, Fisher has been “doing pretty good!” She explains that the recovery process — specifically in terms of pain management — was “more difficult” than she anticipated, but she’s “doing a lot better now!” Aside from the "fatigue," she feels "mostly back to normal," Fisher says.

“The doctors said my liver should be regrowing now and I have a check up/MRI scheduled in November in NYC to see how far it’s regrown and to make sure everything looks good!” Fisher says. “I’m happy to be home seeing my friends and family!”

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After the initial August surgery, Karen shared updates to her Facebook and updated her family's GoFundMe page — which is raising money for her son’s transplant.

“While we can’t wait to get home, we are grateful for the absolutely AMAZING team caring for our boy, and we’re blessed to be able to stay close during this time,” Karen wrote via GoFundMe on Monday, Sept. 23. “We understand how necessary it is for his providers to have him here for right now. We are so grateful for your continued support! God bless!”

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