{"id":31103,"date":"2020-04-20T14:35:25","date_gmt":"2020-04-20T20:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=31103"},"modified":"2020-04-24T13:49:33","modified_gmt":"2020-04-24T19:49:33","slug":"jbs-worker-with-covid-19-goes-home-after-son-prayed-outside-hospital-for-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/jbs-worker-with-covid-19-goes-home-after-son-prayed-outside-hospital-for-days\/","title":{"rendered":"JBS worker with COVID-19 goes home after son prayed outside hospital for days"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"JBS
Rafael Hernandez, right, hugs his dad, Sergio Rodriguez, a JBS worker who survived a severe COVID-19 infection. Sergio recovered and was well enough to leave UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies on Saturday. Photos by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For 16 days, enduring spring snowstorms and sleeping in his car at times, the son kept a vigil in the parking lot outside his father\u2019s Loveland hospital as the father battled COVID-19.<\/p>\n

The son knelt. He prayed. He held his Bible and found comforting verses of scripture. He played uplifting music that he wished his father could hear. Day and night, he gazed up at the windows into the hospital rooms, where nurses, respiratory therapists and doctors fought to keep his dad and many others alive.<\/p>\n

\"Son
Rafael Hernandez could not be by his dad’s side inside the hospital. So, he kept a vigil and prayed outside both for his dad and for the medical workers. Nurses put a piece of paper on his dad’s window to show Rafael which room was his dad’s.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rafael Hernandez tried to leave the parking lot outside UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies<\/a> in Loveland to rest at his home 42 miles away. He\u2019d get into his car. He\u2019d drive away. And, he\u2019d get no further than the next highway exit before turning around and returning to the hospital lot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just felt empty like there was nobody there to visit him,\u201d Rafael said of his father, Sergio Rodriguez.<\/p>\n

Because the new coronavirus is so contagious<\/a>, family members of sick patients around the world have been unable to support their loved ones at their bedsides.<\/p>\n

So Rafael kept up his parking lot vigil.<\/p>\n

\u201cI needed to be close to him,\u201d Rafael said.<\/p>\n

\"JBS
Rafael Hernandez spent several nights praying outside the hospital where his dad was sick with COVID-19. He sometimes slept in his car after promising his dad he wouldn’t leave until his dad got to go home. Rafael’s prayers were answered on Saturday when his dad, Sergio Rodriguez, got to leave the hospital and go home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Saturday, all of Rafael\u2019s prayers were answered, and Sergio, 58, got to leave the Medical Center of the Rockies.<\/p>\n

At about 12:30 p.m. dozens of health care workers gathered in the atrium of the hospital and cheered and applauded as Sergio\u2019s nurses wheeled him outside.<\/p>\n

Waiting for him were Sergio\u2019s wife, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and other family members. They greeted him with hugs, tears, balloons, blown kisses and signs that read, \u201cWelcome Home Grandpa\u201d and \u201cWe love you Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thank God and the doctors and nurses,\u201d Sergio said after getting into the car with his wife, Yolanda Rodriguez.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a miracle,\u201d Yolanda said of her husband\u2019s recovery. \u201cIt was all that praying.\u201d<\/p>\n

A promise: \u2018I\u2019ll be with you until you get out\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sergio had been receiving care at the Medical Center of the Rockies since April 2. He first spiked a fever of 104 and started coughing around March 20.<\/p>\n

Sergio has dedicated more than 37 years to his career at the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, near their home in Evans. Sergio was among a dozens of other JBS workers who became sick with COVID-19 and the plant is now shut down.<\/p>\n

On March 20, Sergio felt sick before his shift ended and went to see his doctor after work. His doctor said no tests were available and sent him home to quarantine himself. Sergio tried to heal at home, but he wasn\u2019t improving. So, on March 27, Yolanda took him to the ER at UCHealth Greeley Hospital<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"JBS
About 80 health workers at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies gathered in the hospital atrium to applaud and cheer for Sergio as he got to go home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rafael texted his dad that day from outside the Greeley hospital. He wrote: \u201cI\u2019m here with you and I\u2019ll be with you until you get out!! I\u2019m not leaving. I LOVE YOU and need you in my life DAD!…I\u2019m staying here till you get out.\u201d<\/p>\n

His dad replied: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a while\u2026You should go home. I will be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, Sergio wasn\u2019t OK. In the hospital, he had tested positive for COVID-19 and he continued to decline.<\/p>\n

\"JBS
Sergio Rodriguez’ 4-year-old great-granddaughter, Davinity Ochoa, blew Rodriguez a kiss as he departed UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies after a 16-day stay at the hospital for a severe COVID-19 infection. The longtime JBS meatpacking employee had spent nearly a week previously at UCHealth Greeley Hospital.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On April 2, he called Yolanda and said he was having a hard time breathing on his own.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe nurses think I\u2019m going to have to go on a ventilator. I just want to tell you that I love you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, he asked Yolanda a poignant question.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you wait for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t hesitate.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll wait forever. I\u2019ll pray and I\u2019ll wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

Constant prayers: \u2018You give hope. You restore every heart that is broken\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sergio\u2019s doctors then transferred him to the Loveland hospital, where he had to be intubated and placed on a ventilator.<\/p>\n

While his dad slowly improved, Rafael waited outside. Sometimes he knelt and looked up to his dad\u2019s windows. Nurses learned who he was and kindly put pieces of paper on the windows to show Rafael which room was his dad\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Praying became his mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the only way I feel close to him,\u201d Rafael said, the night before his dad\u2019s release.<\/p>\n

\"JBS
Rafael spent many nights outside the hospital, praying and putting his faith in God.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Occasionally, Rafael checked into a hotel in the area to get washed up. If he needed food, he would just grab a quick bite nearby, then return to the hospital. He and his mom and siblings traded many phone calls, but often ended up in tears with one another.<\/p>\n

At night, Rafael sometimes leaned the driver seat back in his car, wrapped blankets around him and looked up at his dad\u2019s window and the blinking lights in the room until he fell asleep.<\/p>\n

He thought back to times when he was little and his dad taught him how to lift weights and work on cars. He remembered the excitement when his dad got him an Atari 2600.<\/p>\n

\"JBS
Multiple family members greeted Sergio Rodriguez as he got to leave the hospital after a weeks-long fight against COVID-19.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As worries gnawed at him, music provided some comfort. A favorite was Great are you Lord<\/em> by Casting Crowns.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou give life. You are love.<\/p>\n

You bring light into the darkness<\/p>\n

You give hope. You restore<\/p>\n

Every heart that is broken.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Rafael kept up his vigil, his dad began to improve little by little.<\/p>\n

And earlier last week, Sergio\u2019s team was able to take him off the ventilator.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes time to work. The (virus) is a big shock to the body. It\u2019s great when we can get someone extubated. It\u2019s always a big sigh of relief,\u201d said Connor Murphy, one of the nurses who cared for Sergio in the COVID-19 ICU at the Medical Center of the Rockies.<\/p>\n

\"Rafael
Rafael Hernandez waited for his dad just before the longtime JBS worker was released from UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies after surviving a brutal COVID-19 infection.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Rafael, a great turning point came on Friday morning. At 8:46 a.m., a call popped up from a familiar person. It said, \u201cDad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was able to hear his voice. He told me he loves me. I said, \u2018I love you so much.\u2019 I started crying and he said, \u2018I\u2019ll be OK.\u2019 I told him, \u2018I\u2019m right outside. I haven\u2019t left you. I\u2019m right here with you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Sergio thanked his son for his support, and the next morning, he got word that he likely would be discharged later on Saturday. He was able to walk to his window, look out and see his family gathering in the hospital parking lot.<\/p>\n

\n

For all updates and to read more articles about the new coronavirus, please visit uchealth.org\/covid19<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cHis family prayed for him every day,\u201d said nurse, Hannah Rossman, who cared for Sergio both in progressive care unit where he was moved after he got off the ventilator and in the medical unit where he was able to come off oxygen completely and get discharged.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe looked out and he was so excited. He\u2019s looking so much better than he was. Discharging him is super exciting,\u201d Rossman said.<\/p>\n

Krista Liley is an occupational therapist who worked with Sergio on Saturday before his departure.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had a huge smile on his face. I told him he was my best rock star because he progressed faster than anyone I have seen,\u201d Liley said.<\/p>\n

Finally, the chance to embrace<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Then, a short time later, Sergio was able to leave.<\/p>\n

Rafael rushed to his dad, and knelt on the ground outside the hospital again. This time, however, he was able to give his dad a big hug.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is just the best time of my life. I\u2019m able to look him in the eyes and embrace him,\u201d Hernandez said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love you so much,\u201d Sergio\u2019s daughter, Crystal Rodriguez, said as she rushed to embrace her dad. Both were in tears.<\/p>\n

Keeping social distance and wearing masks, other family members cheered for Sergio and shouted, \u201cThank you so much\u201d to the health care workers who had clapped for Sergio to give him a big sendoff.<\/p>\n

\"JBS
Rafael bowed his head, overcome with emotions and gratitude after his dad got to leave the hospital.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sergio is one of about 550 patients with COVID-19 infections who have recovered well enough to leave UCHealth hospitals throughout Colorado as of April 21. That includes about 185 patients in northern Colorado, nearly 300 in the Denver area and about 65 in southern Colorado.<\/p>\n

As soon as Sergio was off the ventilator and able to connect with family members on the phone, he was on a mission to get well quickly and go home.<\/p>\n

Yolanda said she was greatly relieved.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so glad to have him home,\u201d Yolanda said. \u201cHe\u2019s been calling me all morning. He\u2019s been so excited.<\/p>\n

Sergio was tired as he left the hospital. He will need time to recover fully, but his doctors are hopeful that he and other COVID-19 survivors will not have long-lasting damage to their lungs.<\/p>\n

In a hushed voice, Sergio said he\u2019s looking forward to resting and returning someday to his church so he can give thanks to God for his survival.<\/p>\n

Shortly after Sergio headed home, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flew over the hospital at about 1:30 p.m. as members of Sergio\u2019s family and nurses gathered outside to watch. The Thunderbirds were honoring essential health workers throughout Colorado, but for Sergio\u2019s family, the timing of the flyover was especially meaningful. As the fighter jets banked around the hospital, then passed in front of the snow-capped Rockies, one man got to head home and family members and medical team got to celebrate.<\/p>\n

\"Fighter
The Thunderbirds flew over UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies as they honored health workers throughout Colorado.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finally, Rafael also could go home.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a man of his word and I\u2019m a man of my word. I told him I was going to be here until he walked out of that door. And, I was,\u201d Rafael said.<\/p>\n

He has a simple message for family members of others who are sick with COVID-19: \u201cNever give up hope.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For 16 days, enduring spring snowstorms and sleeping in his car at times, the son kept a vigil in the parking lot outside his father\u2019s Loveland hospital as the father battled COVID-19. The son knelt. He prayed. He held his Bible and found comforting verses of scripture. He played uplifting music that he wished his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":31124,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[4859,4860,4870],"class_list":["post-31103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid-19","tag-were-here-for-you"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nJBS worker with COVID-19 home after son prays outside hospital - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Family and nurses cheered for JBS worker and COVID-19 survivor Sergio Rodriguez when he left the hospital. His son, Rafael, had prayed for days outside.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/jbs-worker-with-covid-19-goes-home-after-son-prayed-outside-hospital-for-days\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"JBS worker with COVID-19 goes home after son prayed outside hospital for days\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Family and nurses cheered for JBS worker and COVID-19 survivor Sergio Rodriguez when he left the hospital. His son, Rafael, had prayed for days outside.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/jbs-worker-with-covid-19-goes-home-after-son-prayed-outside-hospital-for-days\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-04-20T20:35:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-04-24T19:49:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/20132018\/Kneeling-with-dad-tiny.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/jbs-worker-with-covid-19-goes-home-after-son-prayed-outside-hospital-for-days\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/jbs-worker-with-covid-19-goes-home-after-son-prayed-outside-hospital-for-days\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d43cd81d6f8e440a3e496f8a012c68e9\"},\"headline\":\"JBS worker with COVID-19 goes home after son prayed outside hospital for days\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-20T20:35:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-04-24T19:49:33+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/jbs-worker-with-covid-19-goes-home-after-son-prayed-outside-hospital-for-days\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2043,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/jbs-worker-with-covid-19-goes-home-after-son-prayed-outside-hospital-for-days\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/20132018\\\/Kneeling-with-dad-tiny.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"coronavirus\",\"COVID-19\",\"We're here for you\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/jbs-worker-with-covid-19-goes-home-after-son-prayed-outside-hospital-for-days\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/jbs-worker-with-covid-19-goes-home-after-son-prayed-outside-hospital-for-days\\\/\",\"name\":\"JBS worker with COVID-19 home after son prays outside hospital - UCHealth Today\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/jbs-worker-with-covid-19-goes-home-after-son-prayed-outside-hospital-for-days\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/jbs-worker-with-covid-19-goes-home-after-son-prayed-outside-hospital-for-days\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/20132018\\\/Kneeling-with-dad-tiny.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-20T20:35:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-04-24T19:49:33+00:00\",\"description\":\"Family and nurses cheered for JBS worker and COVID-19 survivor Sergio Rodriguez when he left the hospital. 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