Schererville man believes slain daughter brought him back to life.

He can recall a sensation of walking down a dark tunnel and having a bright light move toward him. It was his daughter, Holly, who brought him back to life.

 

 

Fred and Louise Hieber hold a photo of their daughter, Holly Hieber, 26, in her bedroom Thursday at their Schererville home. Their daughter died from a gunshot wound in July. Fred Hieber suffered a heart attack while en route to the Illinois hospital where she had been admitted. He said he saw a vision of her while he was dying, and she told him to go back. He said he knew his daughter was dead before his wife told him days later. (Right) Louise Hieber wears the cross that her daughter, Holly Hieber, was wearing when she died in July from a reportedly accidental shooting in Chicago.

 

August 27, 2011 - Reported [here]. Chicago officials arrested a Chicago man in the accidental shooting death of Holly Hieber, police said. Osvaldo Salazar was charged with involuntary manslaughter, one count of concealing a homicide and six counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon relating to Hieber's death, police said. He confessed to police he shot Hieber by accident but initially told police she had been hit in a drive-by shooting, Chicago police Officer Daniel O'Brien said. Salazar is scheduled to be arraigned Monday, the Cook County state's attorney's office said. Medical officials instructed Holly's mother, Louise Hieber, not to tell her husband of their daughter's death until he was stabilized. Doctors were concerned the mental anguish over his daughter's death would cause his health to spiral downward.  But when his wife came into the room to tell him days later, he already knew. He asked his wife for confirmation, and when she nodded, he began to cry.

He's been crying every day since becoming conscious enough to cope with his emotions. Back at home, the family cat, Shadow, cries for Holly constantly. A high-pitched whimper resonates in the home throughout the day. "This just started, and it doesn't stop," Fred Hieber said. "She misses her mommy." And although he, too, misses his daughter, Hieber is more at ease with her death because of the vision of her that came to him, he said. "At least I got to see her while I was under, and she did shove me back into life," he said. "And I am certain my wife is grateful for that." Today, Hieber is walking, talking and eager to begin physical therapy. "The house is so empty without her," he said. "A piece of my heart was ripped out when she passed on."His cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. George Hodakowski, said Hieber's recovery has been pretty astonishing considering the emotional stress he is enduring. "This guy just had an amazing outlook. It was an amazing thing to see," Hodakowski said.

But Hieber doesn't think his speedy recovery can be attributed to his personal determination. He believes other forces have been at work to help him recover without complications. "I'm a miracle because I have a guardian angel watching over me," he said.