Woman to be released from hospital in time for holidays after battling COVID-19 for 5 months

TEXAS CITY, Texas (KTRK) -- Crystal Gutierrez's husband Rafael and their four children are counting down the days until she's able to be discharged from HCA Houston Healthcare in Clear Lake, where she has been fighting COVID-19 for five months.

"I never thought at the age of 36 that we were going to have to go through sickness and in health. I didn't think I would have to live by that at this time," Rafael said about his wife of seven years.

Crystal, who is 36 years old, was also 36 weeks pregnant with their fourth son when she tested positive for COVID-19 on June 26. On June 28, doctors performed an emergency C-section. Weeks later on July 6, Crystal was intubated, which she remained for months after.

Doctors then gave her a 23% chance of surviving.

"As a father, as a husband, you don't know what to do when you hear something like that. It's something that broke me," Rafael said.

He said after the news, he turned to his faith and he received the news he had been praying for.

"After five months, we got a discharge date," Rafael said.

Although Crystal has a long road to recovery, Rafael and the boys can't wait for her to come home just in time for the holidays.

"We've been going through this for five months. A lot of people don't get a second chance. I've been blessed with a second chance," Crystal said.

HCA Houston Healthcare has adopted the family for Christmas.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family during this time.