AURORA, Colo. -- A year after burying his wife killed in a deadly tornado, one man is now praying for his daughter.

"Right now she's actually having some breathing problems," said Gus Puga.

His daughter, Noelia Puga, has an E. coli infection that started with stomach pains a few days ago. Doctors in Lamar were unsure at first what was causing so much discomfort.

"The first time, they said it was just a bladder infection," Puga said.

But when she had bloody diarrhea, vomit and even a bloody nose, Puga became increasingly concerned.

On Tuesday she was brought to the new Children's Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.

"They're giving her, like, all the proteins and nutrients that she needs. They're giving it to her through an IV," Puga said. "Doctors here and nurses and everything here, they're great."

Puga said he's drained. In late March 2007, the Holly tornado killed Puga's wife, Rosemary Rosales. Puga wears her rings around his neck on a chain.

"Whenever I need something, I just kind of hold onto these rings and ask her for help," Puga said.

And lately, he's been reaching for the rings frequently.

He and Noelia were both hurt but were trying to move forward.

"Last year, not being good for me ... and then this year, I was hoping for this year to be better. It's not the way I expected it to be. Why, why us? Why so much pain, suffering? If that's the way God wants it, that's the way it's going to be," Puga said.

He does not know how Noelia contracted E. coli but remembers eating a hamburger at Porky's Parlor in Holly recently. He said Noelia only had half of it while he had the rest and did not get sick.

His daughter is only awake for 15 minutes at a time and only wants water or other liquids but she can't have when she is sitting up. Puga said she also has kidney problems.

As of Friday, Noelia was in critical condition.