05/21/2023
From our M5:8 Board President, Larry D. Gonzales: In December of 2021, when I was dying of COVID at St. David’s Hospital in Austin, we didn’t know if I would make the night. But thanks to the power of prayer and the grace of God, after 8 days in ICU, I was discharged. While I was in ICU, I met a young man, Ervin, who helped take care of me. I can’t begin to explain the level of fear, and doubt, and regret, and a host of awful emotions when you are alone and scared of dying. But Ervin took care of. Not even the doctors or nurses came into my room very often, but Ervin brought me my food and water and towels and whatever else I needed. What I REALLY needed was company. I needed a person to sit and talk to me. That whole “dying alone” with COVID scenario will go down as one of humanity’s biggest mistakes. I know. It was almost me. Ervin even sat with me and watched college football bowl season. I got to know him — Austin native, the first in his family to graduate from a 4 year University. He graduated from UT Austin with a degree in Biology and wanted to be a phyiscian’s assistant. I told him, “if I survive this, and you get into PA school, I’m paying for your first semester.” Over a year later I received a text. He was accepted to PA school at The University of Texas Health Science Center - San Antonio. So today we drove to San Antonio and the board of directors of M5:8 delivered his check to him. What a great guy. We wish him the very best and all the success in the world!!
