A family is calling for justice after a longtime security guard was brutally attacked by a patient at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre.

Gardy Coriolan, a 62-year-old security guard who has worked at the hospital for 28 years, is now fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit of the very same facility where he dedicated nearly three decades of service. The assault occurred early Thursday morning, according to Rockville Centre police.

Authorities say 28-year-old Eduardo Lopez of Freeport—who was being treated at the hospital—viciously attacked Coriolan. Relatives of the victim say he was repeatedly punched in the face and chest, causing Coriolan to go into cardiac arrest. Doctors have informed his family that he has suffered extensive brain damage.

"He spent his life protecting people in this hospital. Now I have to get justice for him," said Coriolan’s wife, Sonya Coriolan, in an emotional interview. "My husband has 90 percent brain damage right now. I was told my husband is never going to wake up. Never."

Coriolan is the father of six children and grandfather to five. Family members describe him as a beloved presence at the hospital and a dedicated protector of both staff and patients.

The suspect, Lopez, has been arrested and is facing assault charges.