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DALLAS, TEXAS -
The press conference at UT Southwestern started with a simple, declarative sentence.
"This man saved my husbands life by bringing him home." Said Rosa Garcia. "And I want to thank him."
This man, is Eugene Knies, who footed the bill for Rosa's husband and Dallas police officer Alex Garcia, to come home. Garcia suffered a blood clot after becoming dehydrated while on a police explorers conference in Denver. When Knies heard the city's insurance carrier, United Health Care, wouldn't pay to fly officer Garcia home via air ambulance, he stepped in and paid for the 75- hundred dollar flight. He says it was the right thing to do.
"I appreciate what the first responders do on a daily basis and I think they never get their due and that was one little small way I could repay what they do for us everyday."
And Rosa says since Alex returned home on Monday, he is on the road to recovery.
"My husband is getting better, he is improving by the day, which is great news and hopefully he'll be home soon."
Doctors agree, saying his speech is improving. They're hopeful he'll be back in uniform soon. Coming home may have been the best medicine of all.
"Just being here." Says Dr. Benjamin Nguyen. "I see on a daily basis, I see all of his friends coming by, his wife is always there so without a doubt being here in dallas helped facilitate the recovery process greatly."
Which brings us back to Eugene Knies who paid to bring officer Garcia home after being stuck in Denver for two weeks. The night the owner of four car dealer ships decided to pay, he says he slept like a baby.
"I'm very close to my family, I couldn't do what I do without my loving wife, I have three great kids and it just makes me appreciate that and I just couldn't imagine having to go through that."
Because of him, the Garcia family won't.
"On behalf of me and Alex." Rosa says. "We will always love you."
Doctors say Officer Garcia will get to go home in about a week but is still facing outpatient therapy to improve his speech.
"This man saved my husbands life by bringing him home." Said Rosa Garcia. "And I want to thank him."
This man, is Eugene Knies, who footed the bill for Rosa's husband and Dallas police officer Alex Garcia, to come home. Garcia suffered a blood clot after becoming dehydrated while on a police explorers conference in Denver. When Knies heard the city's insurance carrier, United Health Care, wouldn't pay to fly officer Garcia home via air ambulance, he stepped in and paid for the 75- hundred dollar flight. He says it was the right thing to do.
"I appreciate what the first responders do on a daily basis and I think they never get their due and that was one little small way I could repay what they do for us everyday."
And Rosa says since Alex returned home on Monday, he is on the road to recovery.
"My husband is getting better, he is improving by the day, which is great news and hopefully he'll be home soon."
Doctors agree, saying his speech is improving. They're hopeful he'll be back in uniform soon. Coming home may have been the best medicine of all.
"Just being here." Says Dr. Benjamin Nguyen. "I see on a daily basis, I see all of his friends coming by, his wife is always there so without a doubt being here in dallas helped facilitate the recovery process greatly."
Which brings us back to Eugene Knies who paid to bring officer Garcia home after being stuck in Denver for two weeks. The night the owner of four car dealer ships decided to pay, he says he slept like a baby.
"I'm very close to my family, I couldn't do what I do without my loving wife, I have three great kids and it just makes me appreciate that and I just couldn't imagine having to go through that."
Because of him, the Garcia family won't.
"On behalf of me and Alex." Rosa says. "We will always love you."
Doctors say Officer Garcia will get to go home in about a week but is still facing outpatient therapy to improve his speech.
