AN UNCONSCIOUS FATHER FOUGHT COVID-19 HIS SON WAS ADMITTED DOWN THE HALL TO FIGHT SAME ILLNESS
COVID-19 invaded the Davilla home, severely infecting more than one family member. David Davilla could not catch his breath, so his wife rushed him to Methodist ER | Boerne. He was transferred to the ICU at Methodist Hospital | Texsan, where he spent a month in the ICU fighting for his life. During that time, his 20-year-old son, Blake, was admitted as his symptoms progressively worsened. He was down the hall for four days, and his father did not even know. David’s wife, Crystal, an ICU nurse, returned to her own hospital to care for her patients with COVID-19, while her husband and son were hospitalized. She spent her time off driving around the hospital praying for her family. "I would sleep in the parking lot because I couldn't come home and have my son's room be empty, as well as my husband's. It was a
20 | Methodist Magazine
little much,” said Crystal. Fortunately, David and Blake never stopped fighting. Blake was released after four days in the hospital. After the third intubation, David began improving, but he wasn’t strong enough to go home. He was transferred to Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak Rehabilitation Center for the next phase of care and recovery. “When I initially evaluated him, it did take three people to transfer him from a bed to a chair,” said Pauline Castro, physical therapist. Due to David’s hard work and determination, as well as the incredible care he received across all three facilities, he is now able to get out of bed and walk on his own. Three months after contracting COVID-19, David walked out of Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak Rehabilitation Center and returned home to his family. He continues his rehabilitation and is making progress every day.