A woman who regained consciousness at her own funeral has now passed away after having spent a week in intensive care.
As previously reported, 76-year-old Bella Montoya from Ecuador was pronounced dead on June 9 after being taken to Martin Icaza Hospital in Babahoyo by her son, per BBC News.
Her son, Gilbert Rodolfo Balberan Montoya, revealed that she suffered from several heart conditions and hypertension. Three hours later he was told by doctors that his mom passed from a cardiorespiratory arrest caused by an unspecified cerebrovascular disease, according to the Associated Press.
The elderly woman was placed in a coffin and taken to a funeral parlor, where relatives were holding a vigil before her planned burial. However, five hours later, Bella's relatives decided to open her coffin to change her clothes ahead of the funeral but instead found her gasping for air.
A video of the harrowing incident was taken by a mourner and shared on social media. It showed Bella lying in an open coffin struggling to breathe, while another person complained that an ambulance they contacted had not arrived yet.
Describing the shocking moment he realized his mother was still alive, Gilbert said: "My mum started to move her left hand, to open her eyes, her mouth; she struggled to breathe."
He said a medic told him at noon that his mother was dead, adding: "Another one saw me and he gave her oxygen, they intubated her and took her to an (ICU) room where she is under observation," per The Times.
After Bella was found gasping for air, firefighters arrived at the funeral, lifted her onto a stretcher, and drove her back to the hospital where she had initially been declared dead. Her son disclosed to Ecuadorean media that she was in intensive care, but was responsive.
After her bizarre plight, Bella spent seven days in intensive care at the Martín Icaza Hospital but Ecuador's health ministry confirmed that she passed away on June 16 from an ischaemic stroke. Speaking to a local newspaper, Gilbert said: "This time my mother really did die. My life will not be the same," per BBC.
According to the publication, the ministry's statement disclosed that the woman had remained under "permanent surveillance" while at the hospital.
Local media also reported that she had a condition called catalepsy - where a person experiences loss of consciousness, seizure, and the body becomes stiff. They also noted that after her death, she was taken back to the same funeral home ahead of her burial at a public cemetery.
Due to the shocking events that have occurred, a technical committee has also been formed to examine how the hospital issues death certificates, per Sky News.
