Woman Declared Dead At Hospital Wakes Up During Her Funeral
Having to deal with the death of a family member is a tragic thing. No matter how or when it happens, it doesn't get any easier, and the life lost is still felt deeply by so, so many. One family went through this pain not just once but twice.
One doctor's mistake had the family in shock and awe during a loved one's wake, making for a day none of them will ever forget.
Awake At The Wake
A family in Ecuador had quite the shock during a wake for one of their beloved family members as they started to hear a knocking sound coming from inside the coffin. Upon it being opened, they found the woman they'd been mourning alive and well again.
The 76-year-old retired nurse, Bella Montoya, was rushed back to the hospital where she had been declared dead, much to the surprise of the doctors and nurses who cared for her.
Emergency Room Rush
Montoya had originally been admitted to the hospital the Friday prior due to a potential stroke and cardiopulmonary arrest. She didn't respond to resuscitation, so a doctor on duty declared her dead.
Her son, Gilberto Barbera, told The Associated Press that she had been unconscious when they brought her to the emergency room, only to be told a few hours later that she had passed away. He said the doctor told them the news, gave him her identity documents, and presented a death certificate.
Thrashing For Freedom
The family then brought her to a funeral home so they could host a quick service, having the wake not too long after she'd been declared deceased. It was there that she woke back up and was able to alert everybody before her coffin entered the ground.
"There were about 20 of us there," Barbera explained. “After about five hours of the wake, the coffin started to make sounds. My mom was wrapped in sheets and hitting the coffin, and when we approached, we could see that she was breathing heavily."
Thorough Investigation
"It gave us all a fright," he said, but thankfully his family jumped into action and was able to get her back to the hospital swiftly.
Ecuador's Health Ministry explained that Montoya is now in intensive care at the Martín Icaza Hospital in Babahoyo, all while the ministry investigates the doctors who were involved in her care prior to her announced 'death.' They also said that a technical committee was formed to review how the hospital issues its death certificates so nothing like this ever happens again.
No Second Go
She remains in serious condition as per the latest reports, having been put under intubation. The family reports that doctors don't have much hope regarding her prognosis, but they're still waiting to see what happens.
As for the doctor that wrongfully declared her as having died, there's no information about him yet, but the ministry is looking into it so they can figure out what exactly happened. Having to face the death of a loved one not only once, but twice, must be unimaginably heartbreaking, so here's hoping they fix whatever problem caused this to happen so no one else has to face such grief.
