Fabens father fights for his future

FABENS, Texas (KVIA) — Sebastian Rios was preparing for one of the biggest moments of his life — becoming a father — when unexplained pain sent him searching for answers.

For about three months, the 27-year-old Fabens man said the pain moved from his chest throughout his body. He repeatedly went to the hospital, convinced something more serious was happening.

“If you send me home, then that's it. I won't be able to come back, because you will literally be sending me home to die,” Rios recalled telling a doctor.

Lab work eventually revealed Sebastian had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood cancer.

The diagnosis changed life not only for Sebastian, but for his pregnant wife, Michelle, and the family surrounding them.

As Sebastian began treatment, the couple was forced to navigate his cancer fight and her pregnancy apart while their family and the Fabens community rallied behind them.

Their journey would bring fear, separation and uncertainty — but also a reason to keep fighting.

What happened next would change the Rios family forever.

Watch ABC-7's Iris Garcia Barron's special report, "A Father's Fight," Thursday on ABC-7 at 6.