‘Lazarus syndrome’ explained after woman who was clinically dead for 17 hours woke up suddenly with one emotional request
Rhiannon Ingle
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/ABC
One woman experienced a rare phenomenon known as 'Lazarus syndrome' after being clinically dead for 17 hours before miraculously waking up.
In 2008, Virginia woman, Velma Thomas, was rushed to hospital after suffering a life-threatening heart attack and was later placed on life support following two heart attacks.
It was then that Velma's heart stopped beating three times and she was pronounced clinically dead after doctors detected no brain activity for 17 whole hours.
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Amazingly, Velma had an incredible breakthrough as just 10 minutes after being taken off life support, while doctors were preparing to remove her organs for donations, she woke up.
And the first thing she asked for upon waking up?
Her son, Tim.
The incident, which was hailed as a 'miracle' by doctors, is an incredibly rare medical phenomenon known as 'Lazarus Syndrome'.
Lazarus Syndrome describes the spontaneous return of a person's blood flow after attempts at CPR have ended, as per Cleveland Clinic.
It is also used to refer to the spontaneous return of cardiac activity after the patient has been pronounced clinically dead, with Velma believed to hold record time for recovering from a clinical death.
The name of the phenomenon has biblical origins as it was named after Lazarus of Bethany, who was famously brought back to life by Jesus Christ in the New Testament's Gospel of John.
Healthline says the syndrome is 'very rare' and only happens after CPR is performed.
"Many doctors think air trapping due to hyperventilation during CPR is the most likely cause of this syndrome," they explain.
"Doctors can avoid declaring someone's death by observing the person for at least 10 minutes after CPR stop."
There are a number of other cases of people clinically dying and then coming back to life, including Charlotte Holmes who 'died for 11 minutes'.
She later shared exactly why she felt no fear as she allegedly reached the other side.
There was also Julie Poole who died and claimed to have 'gone to heaven' and gave exact date of when 'Armageddon' will apparently happen.
And then there was mum Tina Hines who 'died for 27 minutes' after her heart stopped beating who went on to reveal the absolutely 'unbelievable' things she saw on 'the other side'.
When she finally awoke, Tina immediately gestured for something she could write on, hoping to jot down her recollection of 'heaven'.
And out of the cryptic array of barely legible letters she scribbled down, Tina later revealed that she'd written: "It's real".
Anyone else got chills?