Colorado woman in coma 7 weeks after being given fentanyl pill, family hopes for miracle and awareness
A 26-year-old from Douglas County, Micaela McGreevy loves cooking, her eight younger siblings, and her fiancé, Johnny Villalpando.
"You know what? I think I'm in love with this girl," said Villalpando, recalling the early days of their more than four-year relationship in Colorado.
Micaela worked as a CNA after being the first to graduate high school in her family.
"My girl, she is one of the most beautiful-hearted people I know," said Mindy McGreevy, Micaela's mom.
But Micaela battled addiction, a demon that runs in her family.
"My daughter had a rough life growing up. I'm actually next month going to be six years sober myself. I've been about a decade now fighting to get her to come to the light of sobriety," said McGreevy.
In March, Villalpando and Micaela found themselves homeless in Aurora.
"It was all because of alcohol," said Villalpando, "but we had each other."
While waiting to check into a hotel, the couple went to buy food from 7-Eleven.
"I made her wait outside with our stuff," said Villalpando.
When Villalpando came out, Micaela said a man in a hoodie had offered her a pill for free.
"She said, 'Oh, I got this pill, she thought it was like a muscle relaxer,'" said Villalpando.
Thinking the blue pill was pharmaceutical, Micaela took it and soon fell asleep. But when Villalpando tried to wake her, he couldn't.
"She's not breathing, she's not breathing, her lips are blue," said Villalpando.
He called 911 and gave her chest compressions until the ambulance arrived.
Micaela died and was revived by first responders before making it to the hospital.
"This is not happening, this is not real," said Villalpando.
When her mom arrived, Micaela was in a coma and had a brain injury from being without oxygen for nearly an hour.
"Many of the neuro doctors were telling me that Micaela as we knew her was not coming back," said McGreevy.
After a blood panel, they learned the pill she was given was actually fentanyl. Aurora police are investigating, but the identity and motive of the stranger who gave Micaela the pill are still unknown.
"In the back of my mind, I wonder if this is just some random person that is out there trying to hurt people on purpose," said McGreevy.
In April, Micaela moved to an acute care facility where she began to move muscles in her face.
"The first time I saw her move her eyes, her sister came in and she stood next to her bed, and it was plain as day that she looked right up at her, and that's when I knew, I knew that my little girl was still there," said McGreevy.
Doctors now say Micaela has a 50-50 chance of waking up.
"She's a strong woman, I believe in her, I believe in the Lord," said Villalpando.
"One day hopefully I'll get the call saying, 'Mindy, she woke up!' so it's what we're waiting for," said McGreevy.
Her mother hopes her story will save someone else from fentanyl.
"Don't, for the love of God, do not take something from a strange person on the street," said McGreevy. "I hope at least one person will make a second choice."
It's a choice Villalpando says he's making now. Trying to get sober and look for a job while he waits for the day he puts Micaela's ring back on her finger.
"Once when she wakes, put it back on her and it's gonna be great," said Villalpando.
You can see updates to Micaela's story on this CaringBridge blog that her mother created.