Rio Grande Valley paramedics, fire-fighters and police officers shared a message of gratitude ahead of Thanksgiving. 

Some said they were thankful for family. 

"I'd say I'm most thankful for my family having to adjust to this pandemic has made me realize exactly the importance of family — It's brought a lot of closure with my family," McAllen Fire Department Lieutenant Robert Delgado said. 

Some shared that they were COVID-19 survivors. 

"I tested positive for COVID back in June," Harlingen Police Commander David Osborne said. "I actually ended up in a COVID unit for ten days. It was pretty rough even the doctors weren't sure what to do for me."

These first responders have been working the on the front lines the entire pandemic and wanted to remind people to take CDC guidelines seriously this year and to have a happy Thanksgiving. 

Watch the video for the full story.