Noah Gabriel da Cruz Santos, the two-month-old baby pronounced dead before being discovered alive inside a body bag, has returned home to his family in Rio Claro, São Paulo, after almost a month in hospital. He was discharged on Wednesday, August 12, following weeks of intensive treatment after the extraordinary incident in Brazil.
Homecoming Celebration
Relatives marked the occasion with cake, snacks, balloons and a celebratory sign. They also thanked those who had followed his story and supported them with prayers and messages throughout his ordeal.
“God was faithful in every detail and continues to watch over our little miracle. Thank you to everyone who prayed, sent messages, and followed our story. This victory belongs to you, too!” his father Lenildo Santos wrote on social media.
Recovery Continues
Despite being back with his family, Noah remains in recovery and is currently being fed through a small tube. His relatives said he cannot yet have visitors or be taken into crowded environments because of recent episodes.
His ordeal began on July 15, when Noah, then just one month old, suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest while receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at Santa Casa de Rio Claro. Doctors reportedly attempted to resuscitate him for around 45 minutes before he was pronounced dead.
Discovery in the Body Bag
But when funeral worker Regina Célia Paschoal arrived to collect his body, she noticed something that changed everything. After spotting movement inside the taped-up body bag, she opened it and found Noah alive.
“I opened it, and the baby started moving even more; he was making a noise, as if trying to breathe,” Regina recalled. She said she had never experienced anything comparable during her 17 years working in the funeral industry.
Her colleague Matheus Batagello was also there and immediately called for medical assistance. “It was a desperate moment, but also a relief,” he said. Matheus initially questioned whether the movement might have been a spasm, but alerted nurses and urged them to examine the baby.
Hospital Response
Noah was rushed back into intensive care before being transferred to a specialist hospital in Bauru on July 17. He was treated at a University of São Paulo-affiliated facility specialising in craniofacial conditions and was also due to undergo surgery for a cleft palate. By July 31, he had been removed from a ventilator and was breathing without mechanical assistance.
Santa Casa de Rio Claro has maintained that there was no error in declaring Noah's death, saying all technical and legal procedures had been followed. “The Brazilian protocol for confirming death is recognised for its high standards of rigor and safety,” the hospital said.
Medical manager Nelson Horigoshi told Fantástico that the circumstances could potentially be linked to Lazarus syndrome, an extremely rare phenomenon in which circulation returns after resuscitation attempts have stopped. However, he stressed just how unusual Noah's case appeared to be. “It usually takes minutes. Roughly 70% of those who return do so within five minutes. Just look at how exceptional this child's case is. We are talking about hours,” Horigoshi said.
After weeks of treatment and uncertainty, Noah is now recovering at home, where his family said his progress will continue to be monitored “in the comfort of home”.
