Woman declared dead by doctors found breathing in body bag hours later
Topics: World News, Crime, Viral
Annie Walton
Featured Image Credit: Peter Dazeley/Getty / sudok1/Getty
Topics: World News, Crime, Viral
A 90-year-old Brazilian woman is making headlines after coming back from the dead.
She was declared dead by doctors but was found hours later breathing in her body bag.
Norma Silveira da Silva was still breathing when a horrified crematorium worker discovered her body.
Her skin was still warm, and she was struggling for breath in spite of the fact she had been pronounced dead at the Sao Jose Regional Hospital, in Greater Florianopolis on 25 November at 11:40pm.
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Norma was rushed back to hospital, but sadly died hours later.
Officials are now investigating how this massive error occurred - although Norma's loved ones don't think this goes far enough.
Caregiver Jessica Martins Silvi Pereira, 30 said: "It's a case of neglect that I would not wish on anyone."
She also revealed that Norma's family are planning to sue the hospital.
"On Saturday afternoon, I went to visit her and she opened her eye," Jessica continued.
"She didn't have much stimulation, but she managed to open her eye and saw that we were there."
However, shortly after, Norma was declared dead, with infection listed as the cause on her death certificate.
Jessica claims the body was sent from the hospital to the crematorium before any family members had a chance to see her.
Luckily, a vigilant crematorium worker noticed that Norma was, in fact, alive.
The discovery truly sounds like something from a horror movie.
"When he opened the bag she was breathing very weakly," Jessica continued.
"And, as she was no longer conscious, she couldn't ask for help, she tried to breathe and couldn't.
"I mean, from 11:40 pm until 1:30 am she was inside the bag almost dying asphyxiated."
It's not yet known whether Norma's time in the body bag had an adverse effect on her health or played any part in her eventual passing.
Brazil's Medical Ethics Committee and the Death Commission are set to fully investigate the case.
The Regional Council of Medicine of the State of Santa Catarina stated that it "was aware of the situation and will institute appropriate procedures to monitor the case."
On Norma's second death certificate, her cause of death is 'septic shock' caused by 'sepsis with undefined focus'.
Norma was cremated on 27 November.