TEMPLE, Texas — After weeks of battling COVID-19, Domingo Montalbo was able to walk out of the hospital. He was greeted by friends and family before he finally went home.
"We got to celebrate really a miracle," Pastor Darin Pound with Temple First Church of the Nazarene said.
Domingo got to embrace his wife for the first time in 40 days on Wednesday.
"It was just a comfort to know that he survived and we as a family survived this," Lori Montalbo said.
The family lives in Little River-Academy. Lori said she works for Academy ISD and Domingo is a retired beekeeper and Mayor Pro Tem of the Town.
Domingo went to the emergency room on April 1 and later went back home. That Friday morning he was back in the hospital and later put on a ventilator.
"We did not know that Domingo was going to survive because they told us at day five that he was not going to survive," Lori said.
On day eight, the family said they were told he might be okay.
Domingo's family saw him for the first time on April 15 over Facetime and he opened his eyes. Over the last ten days, they had been able to visit Domingo through a window. Wednesday was the first time they could physically reunite.
"He's a little walking miracle," Lori said.
Lori said the next steps would be going to therapies.
"Thank you for everything and for everyone praying and supporting us. We could have not made it without everyone," Lori said.
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