BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Delia Chavez is in a coma at Kern Medical Center after allegedly being attacked while working at Centre for Neuro Skills.

A CNS patient is accused of violently attacking Chavez on Tuesday morning at a patient housing complex.

Chavez' family spoke exclusively to Eyewitness News on Friday. They shared their grief over the alleged attack and memories of the woman they love.

Chavez, 54, was raised in Delano and joined the Army after high school. She then headed to nursing school and worked at Bakersfield's Memorial Hospital.

After the birth of her first child, Annette, Chavez stayed home to raise her family. A few years later, times started getting tough, and Chavez went back to work at CNS, where she has worked for more than 20 years.

Anette Chavez said her Mom always put family first. Delia Chavez gave birth to six children and spent a lot of her time taking care of her grandchildren.

Since the alleged attack, the family has spent their time with Chavez in the ICU. Anette Chavez said its been hard for her family to deal with what happened to their mom. They are also questioning if all proper procedures were followed by CNS.

"I can just imagine my mother lying in a pool of blood for all those hours feeling like she was going to die, (and that) these were her last moments," said Anette Chavez. "When she was found, I was told she sighed a relief and then she let go."

The assault suspect, an 18-year-old Dustin Fabro, was arraigned on felony assault and battery charges on Thursday.