An Arizona woman remarkably came back to life after being clinically dead for 26 minutes.
Debbie Biggles, a pet groomer at Kosmos' Doghouse, died at work in Scottsdale, Arizona. For nearly half an hour, her heart did not beat. The death, however temporary, followed a cardiac arrest.
During the time Biggles spent without a heartbeat, her body was unable to bring oxygen to vital organs and cells, including her brain. After she regained consciousness, doctors were sure the patient would have severe brain damage. Instead,
Biggles completely recovered with little sign of her ordeal.
"I've been around for 25 years and haven't heard of something like this. She didn't show any signs of neurological function. It's remarkable that she didn't suffer damage," Doctor Kurt Solem, a physician at the emergency center, told the press.
When Biggles suffered her cardiac arrest at work, she fell to the floor. Soon, Chelsea Loucks, a co-worker, started performing CPR on the woman. This was the first time Loucks had performed the procedure since she took first aid lessons in high school.
"She was on her side, face down. She looked blue and purple... it seemed like she was gone. I've practiced [CPR] on dummies but I never I thought I would have to do it on a real person," Loucks told ABC News.
By the time the woman arrived at the hospital, her heart was beating, and her blood pressure had started to stabilize. Given the amount of time that had elapsed since she collapsed, brain damage was nearly certain.
Doctors attending to Biggles credit the co-worker with preventing a more-permanent death. While she was recovering, healthcare workers wrote the phrase "prognosis is grim" on her charts. Little did they know she would make a near-miraculous recovery.
Biggles is reported to be in good condition, and is still recovering at the hospital. Doctors and medical researchers are still trying to piece together exactly why and how Biggles survived her ordeal with little to no damage.
In 2012, a man in England was declared brain dead by four physicians before he recovered.
Although most people who suffer such near-death experiences do not recall anything while unconscious, some report feelings of happiness and well-being. This may be caused by a lack of sugar entering the brain.
The secret to how Loucks performed CPR on her unfortunate co-worker? She sang "Staying Alive" by the Bee-Gees to help her keep time through the cardiac compressions.
