A 17-year old Albuquerque boy died saving his family from a home fire. According to published reports, an honor walk was organized for him.
Xaven Garcia, a victim of a New Mexico fire that erupted in his home, tragically passed away on November 14. As the fire raged, the heroic teen woke his father, Phil Garcia, up and pulled him to safety. Garcia then returned to his father’s house to retrieve his sister. Garcia didn’t know if she was in the building still burning or if her husband was at work. Phil Garcia claimed that he managed to escape, but his son did not come out. KRQE News 13 reported.
“I told him to stay out here. I ran inside to check her room. That was a big no-no, I almost got stuck in there. I guess he ran towards the back and the neighbor witnessed him going in and he yelled at him not to go in,”Phil.
Garcia continued: “He was in the smoke 20-30 minutes,” he said. When firefighters retrieved him, Garcia said “he was pretty much gone,”
According to the Albuquerque Fire Rescue, they were dispatched to the home at Zickert Place near Rio Grande Blvd. and I-40 around 10:58 p.m, KRQE previously reported.
The grief-stricken father said, ”He saved me. “He’s a hero to all of us.”
Garcia was transported to UNM Hospital and was on life support and died two days later. His family granted the young man’s final wishes, which was to donate his organs.
It was a decision the teenager made a few days before his untimely death, his father explained.
“He was getting his license this week, actually Friday, and he wanted to become a donor,” Garcia said. “He asked me about it. I explained it to him. ‘yeah, that’It’s great.”
He added: “To make another person have a life, he’s doing it for them,” Garcia said. “I think that’s the ultimate way to go. That’s a true hero.”
On Thursday, family members escorted Xaven Garcia’s body to the operating room at the University of New Mexico (UVM) hospital where his organs will be donated to help save others, KOB4 News reported.
”We’ve never even heard of anything like this, but to see all the doctors, the administration, the nurses, the whole entire wing of the ICU department, it seemed like the whole entire hospital was there,” Garcia said. “And to see that many people lined up on both sides, and then when you looked out the windows, the family and friends, and everybody that was out there, the fire department with flags and ladders. It’s an amazing, amazing thing.”
Gabriel Lovato, one of Garcia’s grandfathers, called his grandson’s final request, a “miracle,” KRQE reported. “I believe in miracles,” Lovato said. “A miracle has taken place tonight.”
New Mexico Donor Services told KOB4 News that Garcia’s organs were able to save at least four lives.
Xaven’s father said that he believes his son’s heart went to Colorado, and his liver went to a 17-year-old boy in New York State, KOB 4 New reported.
“I just hope that whoever the participants are that get my son’s organs, that they really cherish every moment of life they have because he gave his for them,”Phil Garcia. “Just be blessed. They are so blessed to have what they’re getting. It’s a miracle for them.”
Last week, Susan Garcia, Xaven’s grandmother set up aGoFundMeto help with funeral expenses and repair the badly damaged home.
Susan Garcia described her grandson as “the sweetest kind-hearted respectful young man.”
She shared that her grandson was a Valley High School senior. He had also been involved in USAF ROTC and served as an altar boy at Mountainair Catholic Church. She explained that her grandson wanted to be a designer.
Los Duranes Park held a candlelight vigil. Family members hope that Xaven’s legacy of selflessness will be what people remember him for.
As of Tuesday afternoon $10,310 had been raised in excess of their original goal of $8,000