The woman suffered cardiac arrest and was technically dead before doctors revived her
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A woman who was clinically dead for 24 minutes has opened up about what she went through during that time.
Stories of people dying and then being revived aren’t new, but each one gives a rare glimpse into what it might feel like to be on the edge of life and death. Modern medical technology has made these rescues possible, giving us accounts that would have been impossible a century ago.
Back then, people often lost their lives to illnesses like influenza, tuberculosis, and pneumonia, and the average global life expectancy was only in the mid-30s, according to Statista.
Today, average life expectancy has more than doubled to about 72 years worldwide — though one woman nearly didn’t make it there after her heart stopped for almost half an hour.
That woman is Lauren Canaday, who shared her story on Reddit a couple of years ago. She not only described her near-death experience but also welcomed strangers to ask her anything about it.
"I went into sudden cardiac arrest at home this past February," Lauren wrote. "My husband called 911 and started CPR. It took 24 minutes for EMTs to resuscitate me. After 9 days in the ICU, I was declared 'cognitively intact' and have no visible brain damage on MRIs."
The Redditor's husband had to perform CPR
Getty Stock Image
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"I also have a normal EEG despite a history of seizures and status epilepticus for over 30 minutes right after resuscitation," she explained.
Someone then asked Lauren if she recalled anything from the 24 minutes when she had technically died.
"I was in a coma for 2 days and when I woke up I was very confused about being intubated and didn't have any short term memory for several more days," Lauren responded.
"I never regained memory of the week prior or most of the time in ICU and am foggy on about a month prior. I remember only a feeling of extreme peace that I honestly seriously miss!"
Lauren shared that this peaceful sensation lingered with her for weeks after she regained consciousness, almost like a memory she could hold on to even when other details of her hospitalization were missing.
She admitted that while she was still in the hospital, she often forgot why she was even there, which added to the confusion she felt during recovery.
Another Reddit user asked whether she dealt with guilt or confusion about surviving, and Lauren was quick to confirm that she definitely did, saying she struggled with it heavily at first.
She shared: "Yep. 100%. So much guilt/confusion. And grief to deal with all the consequences. Ugh. My emotional state was exceptionally poor for a while. I would not have gotten through it without my husband's support."
Lauren revealed that after such a life-changing event she had to step away from work to focus on her mental health. At the time, she was attending weekly therapy sessions and support groups to cope with the emotional aftermath.
She added: "It helps to meet people through the newsletter I started. That helps me process things. I email a lot with my subscribers."
Lauren now continues sharing her journey through her Substack newsletter, where she connects with others who have been through similar experiences.