Covid-19 Survivor Gives Back to Healthcare Worker

ODESSA, TX – An Odessa man who spent weeks fighting battling COVID-19 is giving back to a healthcare worker he credits with saving his life.

According to Steve Thompson, he spent weeks in a hospital room gasping for breaths of air at Odessa Regional Medical. Throughout his time in the hospital, he spent hours in his reclining chair and let his head sink, and told God his time was finally up.

What Thompson didn't know was that doctors called his family twice to let them know they had almost lost him.

According to Thompson, a nurse named Crstyal Renteria was the angel by his side. 

For the five weeks, he spent in the hospital Crystal held his hand through the pain, brought him snacks daily, and stopped by to say hello.

“And it’s things like that that make our community better and better,” Thompson said. “People like Crystal. We’ve got to keep them here and take care of them.”

With the purpose of helping a nurse who was vital to his recovery, Thompson has partnered with the Wood Family Foundation to provide Crystal with a scholarship so she can return to nursing school and earn a bachelor's degree.

“I thank the good Lord for her, and people like her,” Thompson said. “It just means so much to me and my family. I got to see my grandson turn one on April 20th. I didn’t think I was going to be able to see that.”

Renteria plans to return to school in the next year or two to continue her education.

“I’ve been wanting to go back to school, and something always came up,” Renteria said. “And so, I was just very surprised. I was excited. A little emotional.”

Thompson and Renteria reunited at  Odessa Regional Medical in what used to be the COVID ward that saw hundreds of patients fight for their lives.