Even after death, one can continue being a hero. On November 13th, 2021, Phil Garcia lost his 17-year-old son, Xaven, to a tragic fire accident at their home. But the story does not end there. Xaven had died while trying to rescue his father. And, although that attempt had a tragic ending, even after his death, he has saved eight lives.
The Fire Outbreak At The Garcia Home
November 14th was a Sunday. The Garcias lived in a single-story home in the 1800 block of Zickert NW, as per the records of the Albuquerque Fire Rescue team. That night, the son and the father were sleeping on the couch because they were watching a game of football. Later on, Phil had gone to his own bedroom leaving Xaven, because he did not want to disturb him.
At around 11 P.M. Phil was awoken by a frantic Xaven – flames, and smoke was filling the house. In an interview with the Albuquerque Journal[1], Phil recalls his son’s shouts and how Xaven rescued him:
“Dad, dad, you need to get out – the house is on fire. I was kind of in a daze, I couldn’t really wake up. So, he literally grabbed me and started pulling me out the house.”
He was already covered in smoke. The pair then successfully evacuated to their front yard. They then doused the flames using the garden hose. However, Phil was worried that his daughter was still stuck in the house filled with smoke. So he instructed his son to stay put while he went in to search.
But he had almost immediately collapsed because he felt the heavy smoke “starting to freeze up” his lungs. But he managed to break one of the windows and escape.
Phil thinks that Xaven had rushed in again to save him after not seeing his dad return for a while:
“I’m thinking he probably is freaking out, saying, ‘Dad, dad, dad,’ and he probably ran in to go grab me again. And the smoke overtook him.”
Soon afterward, the fire department arrived and stopped Phil from re-entering the house. They were the ones who brought Xaven out of the house. But by then, it was too late.
A Hero Even After The End
According to the rescue team, the hospital had tried keeping Xaven alive using life support and hoped to see any brain activity. But, unfortunately, that did not happen. The 17-year-old was pronounced dead on Tuesday, November 15th, 2021.
Garcia recalls that Xaven’s body was “basically unscathed”. Moreover, the firefighters had also told him that Xaven had probably fallen unconscious immediately. Garcia said:
“They think that he died pretty much instantly because the black soot filled his lungs and killed him instantly. There were no signs of him struggling or suffering in any way, shape or form.”
Just a day earlier, Xaven had caught a glimpse of Phil’s ID and inquired about the symbol of the heart on it. That’s when Phil had told him about organ donors. Xaven had found it to be awesome and had wanted to be one.
Read: Colombian Mom Who Went Missing 2 Years Ago Discovered Alive Floating on the Sea
Garcia discovered after Xaven’s death that his son had agreed to be an organ donor several months ago. But, for Garcia, and anyone who knew Xaven, it did not come as a surprise. In Garcia’s words:
“When he sees somebody that needs what he has, he gives it to him, he won’t even hesitate. He has a heart of gold … he just wanted to see the world in a better place.”
As such, Xaven’s kidneys, spleen, heart, and other tissues are probably going to save as many as 8 more lives. His family does not exactly know who will receive the organs. In an interview with KOB[2], Phil said:
“I believe his heart went to Colorado, his liver went to another 17-year-old boy in New York state.”
The Father Wants Everyone To Remember Him
The fire had almost completely destroyed Xaven’s room. They could only manage to recover a box containing his most prized belongings.
To honor Xaven’s heroic deeds, UNM Hospital’s entire ICU department organized a special walk[3]. Phil considers his son “a living hero.” He explains:
“He’s a living hero. You know, he literally saved my life. And I will do whatever it takes to get his name known and what he did in a positive way.”
So, Phil is determined to rebuild the room and restore it to how it was, as a tribute.
Xaven’s grandmother, Susan Garcia, also set up a campaign on GoFundMe to help with it. Here is the link.
Truly, a hero in life and in death.
Keep Reading: This Superhero Dad Has Rescued Over 1,600 Kids From Sex Trafficking
Sources
- “Albuquerque 17-year-old dies after saving father from burning home.” ABQ Journal. Matthew Reisen. November 17, 2021.
- “Albuquerque teen who saved father from house fire remembered as a hero.” KOB. Brianna Wilson. November 19, 2021.
- “Teen Who Died Saving His Family from Fire Saves More Lives as Organ Donor: ‘He’s a Hero’ Says Dad.” People. Maria Pasquini. November 22, 2021.