A teenager in Guatemala shocked her family when she woke up in her coffin at her own wake, shortly after she had been declared dead.
The 15-year-old, identified as Yuleidy Ixcotoyac, was reportedly taken ill on October 11 and was being driven to hospital by her father, Abraham Ixcotoyac.
Father describes losing his daughter on the way to hospital
Mr Ixcotoyac later claimed that, as he drove his daughter to hospital, she began to lose consciousness as a result of her illness. He said that shortly before arriving in the region of San Pedro Jocopilas in Guatemala, she ceased to have a pulse.
He told TV Sac: “She was unconscious when she left the house; I was taking her to the hospital… I saw that she was no longer breathing; there was no pulse in her arms. I parked my car and went over to her, and I saw her condition; she had simply ceased to exist. She passed away on the way.”
Mr Ixcotoyac, a pastor, added that, despite his daughter's dire medical condition, he elected not to seek medical attention and instead went to find a funeral home and coffin.
Mother’s hope as daughter wakes in the coffin
It was later, while Yuleidy was inside the coffin and her wake was being held in the village of El Jocote in Quiche, that she began to show signs of life, much to the surprise of the gathered family members, including her mother, Lesbia de Rios.
Ms Rios disputed suggestions that her daughter was dead and described what happened when she regained consciousness inside the coffin. According to Prensa Libre, she said: “Brothers and friends, when I saw my daughter being brought in, I didn't lose hope; I kept saying she was alive, that she wasn't dead. As I was crying over her coffin, we opened the viewing window; she was moving, waking up, and suddenly she sat up.”
Teenager describes her symptoms and survival
Yuleidy has also spoken about the events leading up to the extraordinary moment. In the same interview as her parents, she described the symptoms she experienced before she fainted and thanked God for her survival.
She said: “My heart started hurting terribly; it felt heavy, and then I sort of passed out….I can never repay God for everything He has done in my life. It was a miracle.”
Yuleidy later added that her father had told her he had been unable to make it to the hospital with her. According to Infobae, local health authorities have yet to issue a statement about what happened to Yuleidy. She has also not undergone a medical assessment to establish what happened to her and why.
