Every day since August, Rene Granado has sat by his son Fabian's hospital bed and prayed for a miracle.
Fabian, 27, was in Jacksonville, Florida for trade school when he tested positive for COVID-19. Within days of getting sick, he was in the hospital and relying on an ECMO machine and ventilator to survive.
In the beginning, Rene Granado left the hospital each night not knowing if Fabian would still be there the next morning.
"Those were some dark, bleak times,” Granado said.
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Through it all, he’s encouraged others not to make the same mistake Fabian did. Though Granado encouraged his son to get the vaccine, he said the healthy, strong young man didn’t make it a priority.
"Go get your vaccine,” he now tells anyone who will listen.
And as days have turned to weeks, which have turned to months, little by little Fabian has shown signs of improvement.
"This is a marathon. This is not a sprint,” Granado said.
Monday, for the first time in 2 1/2 months, Fabian stood on his own two feet.
It’s a moment that lasted mere seconds.
Still, it provided hope of a future for Fabian beyond hospital walls.
"That's an incredible blessing. That means God's working. God's doing miracles. The staff's working. Fabian's own sheer will and determination, which is incredible, is working,” Granado said.
Granado, a long-time school resource officer in Garland, credited their community's support and prayers.
He asked for more as they wait to learn whether Fabian will need a lung transplant.
Having already witnessed one miracle, he feels confident Fabian can, and will, pull through.
"I do know with faith, prayers and hope, we have nothing but good roads ahead of us,” Granado said.
Saturday, the community will gather at Harry Myers Park in Rockwall for Fabianstock, a fundraiser concert to help the family with Fabian's growing medical bills. It is set to run from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
