Just 16 hours after she was declared dead, an 8-month-old stunned mourners by clutching the fingers of a grieving family member who reached into the tiny white coffin to gently touch the baby girl one last time.
On the morning of October 19, 2024, Cristiano Santos and Katia Moreira faced every parent’s worst nightmare when they discovered their 8-month-old daughter, Kiara, unresponsive. In a frantic attempt to save their baby girl, the couple hurried her to Faustino Riscarolli Hospital in Correia Pinto, a small town in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina.
However, their hopes for a miracle were quickly dashed when the doctors informed them that there was no breathing, no pulse, and no signs of life.
Shortly after, Kiara was officially pronounced dead, and her heartbroken parents swiftly began making arrangements for her burial, which was set to happen later that evening.
Hours later, as family and friends gathered around the small white coffin where Kiara lay motionless, they were saying their final farewells when one mourner noticed something incredible.
The baby’s hand twitched from within the open casket.
And when another person reached out and gently touched her fingers, Kiara responded by gripping back tightly, as reported by the Mirror.
Gasps, tears and screams filled the room as heartbreak turned to horror and then hope.
When the emergency team got there, they found something that made the mystery even deeper. The Mirror says that Kiara still had a pulse and her oxygen saturation was at 84% – which is really low and needs “immediate medical attention,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Even more surprising was that Kiara’s body didn’t show any signs of rigor mortis, which is when the body gets stiff and usually happens 6 to 8 hours after someone dies.
Dead again
The baby came back to life and the paramedics hurried her back to the same hospital that had said she was dead just 16 hours before.
But even with all their hard work, Kiara’s heart stopped, and she was declared dead – once more.
The emotional impact on Kiara’s family was unimaginable, as local media reported, according to the Mirror: “We were already heartbroken. Then there was a little bit of hope, but then this happened,” said the little girl’s dad Cristiano about his daughter, whom he called “my miracle.”
Brazil’s Scientific Police, which deals with forensics, were called to look into the mistakes that led to Kiara being declared dead two times in just 16 hours by the same hospital.
Due to the growing public outrage, Correia Pinto City Hall apologized to the family and announced a 30-day investigation into what happened.
A spokesperson for the city said: “The Municipality of Correia Pinto wants to assure everyone that we are dedicated to providing the best care for all our citizens. We also want to stress that no professional should issue certificates or statements without properly confirming the patient’s condition. Furthermore, all health professionals receive ongoing training to make sure that the lives and well-being of people are always our top priority.”
They also mentioned that all healthcare workers are trained to focus on saving lives and must follow strict procedures when confirming if a patient has died.
Even though more than 30 days have passed, the results of the investigation are still unclear.
However, Cristiano did share a message on Facebook, raging about what appears to be results that supported the hospital’s twice declaration of death.
“The answer we were waiting for actually came… A life that was wasted. Just died of natural causes??? How can this be a natural cause??? Just died and nobody needs to know???” the sad father wrote in a post on January 30.
“What they did to my daughter shouldn’t even happen to a dog! God will hold them accountable; we were already expecting this answer because the rope only breaks on the weaker side! God is watching! The world has seen it!”
What would you do if that child was your own? Please share your thoughts with us and then spread this story so we can hear from more people!
