Mother Dies Before Giving Birth and Then Comes Back to Life

Minus the oxygen tank, Elayna Nigrelli looks like your average 9 pound baby, but this little one was at the center of a miraculous event.

Just before giving birth, Elayna Nigrelli’s mother, Erica, technically died. Due to an undiagnosed heart defect, Erica passed out while 36 weeks pregnant. Her heart had stopped.

Erica Nigrelli was at work at the time, as a teacher. She owes her survival to the quick-thinking of her coworkers, clinical assistant Maxine Reeves, school nurse Jennifer Longoria, and athletic trainer June Tomlin who performed CPR until the paramedics arrived. Longoria used the school defibrillator on Nigrelli to try to restart her heart.

At the hospital, Nigrelli gave birth through emergency c-section, while technically dead. “There were two lives that were hanging in the balance the whole time,” Erica’s husband said. Both Erica and the prematurely born baby brushed very close to death.

The Nigrelli family owes so much to Erica’s co-workers. As a token of appreciation, the co-workers were honored at a city council meeting, though any gesture of gratitude will not be able to compare to the gift of life. Elayna Nigrelli is truly a miracle baby.