Rueben Canales, a 49 year old man, started feeling ill on August 5, 2021 and tested positive for COVID on August 9, 2021.  He was self-isolating at his home and on August 12^th when his wife, Sulie, went to check on him. He was having a seizure, hallucinating and exhibiting a blueish tint.  She immediately called EMS where his oxygen saturation was noted as 39%.  She followed the ambulance to the Katy, Texas location of Houston Methodist Hospital.  With supplemental oxygen, Ruben’s oxygen levels rose above 90%.  He was texting his wife that night saying how well he felt.

Sulie was not allowed into the hospital to see her husband, but was able to facetime with him on August 13^th which would be the last time she would see his face.  Rueben was on the BiPAP for 7 days, but was becoming agitated with the nurses, therefore he was sedated and restrained.  Although the nursing staff communicated with Sulie on a regular basis, in the early morning hours of August 20^th, Rueben was intubated.  When the nurse called Sulie that morning to inform her of this, she was very upset because she was not notified nor gave approval for this procedure.

On August 21, 2021, Sulie was finally able to see her husband, but only through the glass window. The nurse was very rude stating that Rueben was going to pass and that there was nothing more they could do.  Unfortunately, as Sulie and her children sat in the waiting room later that evening to see Rueben, he passed away in the very early morning hour of August 22, 2021 before they could say their final goodbyes.