Richmond father of 3 goes home after 159 days in the hospital with COVID-19
RICHMOND, Texas (KTRK) -- The family of a COVID-19 patient who had been hospitalized since June is celebrating his long overdue homecoming.
For the first time in five months, Gil Guzman was able to sit on his front porch in Richmond with his wife and daughters again, something his family thought would not happen again.
"I went into the hospital initially on June 3, and I just got out 159 days later," Guzman told ABC13.
He had trouble breathing in June and was later hospitalized after testing positive for coronavirus. He was intubated, on a ventilator and eventually underwent a tracheotomy to help him breathe better. He was unconscious for weeks. Doctors summoned his wife twice for her to say goodbye.
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"It's the worst thing I've ever been through. I wouldn't want this for anyone," said his wife, Angelique.
Guzman lost 100 pounds. He had to relearn how to walk and has paralysis in his left hand. He now has a long recovery ahead.
"The fortunate ones, who have very little symptoms, are very lucky because I had the worst case scenario," he said.
The 50-year-old father of three girls missed birthdays, a wedding anniversary and a daughter's high school graduation. But he finally headed home on Friday morning, adorned with tears and greeted with welcome home signs from his family.
"I have a saying, 'I didn't come this far to only get this far,'" he said.
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His saying fits his COVID-19 recovery, which his wife believes was because of Guzman's determination to live and her faith in God.
"This is a blessing. This is the power of prayer," she said.
