Retired HPD officer finds purpose as pulmonary fibrosis advocate after near-death battle with COVID

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- On a sunny and crisp fall day in Montgomery County, Arturo "Hito" Bazan remembers his darkest days.

"Nothing really matters when you can't breathe. When you can't breathe, the world stops," Bazan told ABC13 reporter Jessica Willey.

He spent 80 days in the hospital in 2020. He doesn't remember more than half of that time, but it was a milestone when he finally walked out. Eyewitness News was there as friends, family, and caregivers cheered him on.

But he still had a long way to go.

"Just taking off a shirt or a hoodie would exhaust me," Bazan said.

Bazan contracted COVID-19 while serving as a Houston Police sergeant in June 2020. A week later, he was hospitalized. He lost over half his lung capacity and was eventually diagnosed with an incurable disease.

"I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, which is the scarring of the lungs, which, when your lungs are scarred, it's harder for the oxygen to go to your blood, so your blood/oxygen levels drop," Bazan explained.

After 26 years with HPD, Bazan's health forced him to retire. He lost the job he loved and his network of friends.

His wife, Cheryl, a nurse, found him a new network.

"That really opened my eyes that there were people across the country like me," he said.

Today, Bazan is a volunteer ambassador for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, whose mission is to help find a cure while focusing on awareness and advocacy. 250,000 Americans are affected by the disease. On Saturday, Bazan will speak at the PFF Walk - Dallas.

"I wanted to tell my story or advocate. It's possible to move on with your life. Possible to get through this," he said. "It's my turn to help."

ABC13 interviewed Bazan at his rural home near Magnolia, which was instrumental in his recovery.

"I was in a wheelchair, then I used a walker. Then it was like, 'Let's see if I can walk to the end of the driveway.'" he said.

The father of three has found a new calling. He teaches criminal justice to high schoolers in New Caney ISD. He still does pulmonary rehab and encourages others with pulmonary fibrosis to remain hopeful.

"My good friend put these words in my head. You can still have your plans, but they are just going to be different, and they are. A little slower, a little different, but I'm not going to let this hold me back," Bazan said.

For more on this story, follow Jessica Willey on Facebook, X and Instagram.