A woman miraculously came back to life after 17 minutes of sudden cardiac arrest. She shared what she saw in the “afterlife.”

On August 6, 2025, Đời sống Pháp luật published an article titled “After 17 Minutes of Clinical Death, Woman Wakes Up and Says: ‘The Afterlife’ Is Not What People Describe.”

The Sun reported on the rare case of “coming back from the dead” of a 35-year-old British woman named Victoria Thomas. She described herself as a healthy person who loved exercise. However, during a gym session, she suffered sudden cardiac arrest. She was clinically dead for 17 minutes before being revived thanks to the paramedics’ efforts. Upon waking up, Victoria revealed she had a strange experience of the “afterlife.”

“The Afterlife Is Not What People Say”

That was the first thing Victoria said when she regained consciousness. She explained that many people who had near-death experiences described peaceful scenes and a radiant tunnel of light.

“I saw everything go dark. Then I realized I was ‘floating’ in the air, near the ceiling, looking down at my body lying on the gym floor,” Victoria said.

“I didn’t see any light or feel the peace people often talk about. I only saw my body and some yellow gym equipment around me,” she recalled.

One strange detail was that at that moment, Victoria noticed her legs looked swollen. Later, when she saw photos taken of her before the incident, she was shocked to realize her legs indeed appeared more swollen than usual.

Victoria was taken to Bristol Royal Hospital, where she remained in a coma for three days. Luckily, she survived and was discharged. A pacemaker was implanted to prevent sudden cardiac arrest from happening again.

Discovering the Cause of Sudden Cardiac Arrest

“I’m still young, healthy, and in good shape. I never imagined I could suffer sudden cardiac arrest,” Victoria said.

Months later, she discovered she was pregnant but experienced repeated episodes of cardiac arrest. Doctors explained that pregnancy put additional strain on her heart. Thanks to her pacemaker, she survived each time.

At 24 weeks pregnant, Victoria was finally diagnosed with Danon disease — a rare genetic disorder linked to lysosomal and glycogen metabolism.

Danon disease is caused by a mutation in the LAMP2 gene, which provides instructions for producing the LAMP2 protein. This protein is essential for breaking down cellular waste. A mutation disrupts its function, causing toxic build-up that damages cells and organs such as the heart, muscles, and brain.

The diagnosis left Victoria shocked. Doctors advised her to deliver her baby early at 24 weeks, but she convinced them to wait a little longer. “If my baby was born at 24 weeks, survival would be very uncertain. By week 30, however, I could barely breathe because my whole body was swollen, so I had to undergo an emergency C-section,” Victoria recalled.

The surgery went smoothly, but doctors said her heart had suffered further damage. Six months later, as her shortness of breath worsened, doctors found her heart was functioning at only 11% capacity — end-stage heart failure. She was placed on the emergency heart transplant list.

Once again, luck was on Victoria’s side. She received a suitable donor heart and successfully underwent a transplant at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in England.

A Second Chance at Life

Victoria’s health has since stabilized. She even plans to compete in volleyball and basketball at the World Transplant Games in Germany next month.

“After the transplant, I never thought I’d play sports again. I feel like I’ve been given a second chance — to be a mother and to play the sports I love. That’s the greatest gift I could ever wish for,” Victoria shared emotionally.

According to Psychology Today, a near-death experience (NDE) is a state of consciousness, semi-consciousness, or recalled perception that occurs when a person is close to death or temporarily undergoes the process.

Various theories attempt to explain phenomena in NDEs. For example, the sensation of leaving the body may stem from disruptions in the parietal-temporal regions, which control body perception. The tunnel of light could be caused by reduced blood flow to the retina. Still, near-death experiences remain a subject of debate with no definitive explanation.