'I'm finally home': Tulare grandma reunites with family 7 months after COVID-19 diagnosis

TULARE, Calif. (KFSN) -- With several honks of the horn, it was official Friday evening that Delfa Munoz was home again.

The Tulare mother and grandmother returned home seven months after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

"I didn't think I was going to get bad. I really thought I was going to beat it," Munoz said.

On top of testing positive for COVID, Munoz had pneumonia.

She was immediately transported to Adventist Hospital in Hanford where she would be hospitalized for months.

He adult children Tinisha Dominguez and Derek Hernandez struggled not being able to visit her in person and could only see her through video chat.

"It was really hard, really, really hard." said Dominguez.

By December, Munoz's health started to deteriorate.

Both of her lungs collapsed and she was placed into a medically induced coma.

"There was more than one time where they did call my brother and said, 'Ok, this is it. We should send her home.'" Dominguez said.

But her children refused. They told doctors to do what they could.

Doctors said they had to do a tracheotomy or Munoz wouldn't survive.

Knowing her mom said she didn't want tubes in her body, Dominguez and Hernandez made the decision to go ahead with the tracheotomy anyway.

Shortly after, Munoz started to improve.

"I feel like by making that decision we did save her life." Dominguez said.

Munoz was in the hospital until January 20, 2021 when she was transferred to a rehabilitation center.

She stayed in two separate rehab centers battling the virus and its after effects until Friday when she finally returned home.

Munoz said she credits her doctors and God for saving her life.

"I didn't know if I was going to come home or not, and I'm home. I'm finally home where I belong." Munoz said.

Munoz will still have to use oxygen until she is completely recovered and said she is looking forward to getting the COVID vaccine as soon as she can.