Father with COVID-19 receives visit from 7-year-old daughter
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Houston area father has been in the ICU for almost two months battling COVID-19.
For more than 40 days, Michael Saucedo's 7-year-old daughter couldn't see him.
Recently, the little girl was able to visit her father through a window.
"We had actually seen him through the window outside, and it lifted his spirits. She told him that she loved him," said Saucedo's sister, Cassidy.
Saucedo has been in the hospital since March 27. He thought he was having trouble with his diabetes, but later learned he had COVID-19.
"They ended up admitting him, and the next day, he was in the ICU and they put him on a ventilator," Cassidy said.
His family said the entire time he's been in the hospital, he has needed assistance breathing.
Suddenly, things took a frightening turn and Saucedo went into cardiac arrest twice.
"After that, they called us and told us to prepare ourselves," Cassidy said. "His family started praying, and then, he started progress. It was a miracle. He started showing progress," Cassidy said.
Saucedo is now stable and testing negative for COVID-19, but the damage left behind calls for a long road to recovery.
"We're just waiting now for his lungs to recover from all the damage the virus did. The virus did a lot of damage to his lungs," said Michael's father, Miguel.
As Saucedo works to heal, one little visitor returned for the second time.
"He's a very, very great father. She's such a daddy's girl. They're like best friends," said Cassidy.
Since Saucedo has tested negative for the virus, his family said he's allowed one visitor.
"I try to let him know that we love him, we miss him and we want him back home," Miguel said.
The family has started a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses.
