STOCKTON, Calif. — Miguel Gaitan Sr. was a 64-year-old husband and father of four.
"I would describe him as a trailblazer for my family and everything. His name is pretty synonymous with success," said his son, Miguel Gaitan Jr.
He was a locomotive engineer. He worked for 31 years for BNSF Railway in Stockton. He was about a year from retiring.
"Kind, generous, hard-working, very thoughtful," said his wife, Alice Gaitan.
But, during the week of Thanksgiving, as the household of four celebrated the holiday, all felt sick. They're not sure how they contracted COVID-19.
Miguel Sr. felt the worst.
"He was just bedridden. He couldn't go to work. We never see him like that," Miguel Jr. said.
Three days later, he ended up at Stockton's Dameron Hospital. A day later he was admitted he was in the ICU. And a couple of days after that he was put on a ventilator.
"He was having trouble breathing. Like, he wasn't comfortable. He would get on the bed, get off the bed, get on the bed, get off the bed. But, he looked like a fish out of water," Alice said. "It attacks your lungs and it doesn't stop until it takes you."
Miguel Sr. was given the anti-viral drug Remdesvir, but it wasn't enough. With no underlying health conditions and no progress after 12 days, on December 11, the family had to make the painful decision to take him off the ventilator.
"From looking at the kidneys, the breathing, his heart, it wasn't looking good. Why torture him with resuscitating him?" Alice said.
Alice was never able to see her husband in the hospital -- only seeing him on a video call.
Miguel Jr. only saw his dad one more time on the day he died. The two were separated by glass.
"I understand that they're doing that to prevent the spread of the virus. It hurts. It's tough," Miguel Jr. said.
The family said Miguel Sr. religiously wore a mask and was socially distanced.
And, as more holidays approach, the family has this message to everyone.
"Wear your mask. Don't get into other people's households if you know that you're sick," Miguel Jr. said.
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