Tina Hines somehow survived death and, upon reawakening, left a terrible message for her family. Tina and her husband Brian scheduled a trek near their Phoenix, Arizona, home last year. Tina had always been in excellent health, but she fainted just as they were ready to set off on their adventure.
Brian rushed into action, squatting beside his wife, who had turned a deep purple. He used CPR to resuscitate Tina. She briefly regained consciousness, but Brian had to administer CPR many times until rescuers arrived.
Tina’s heart stopped six times during her terrifying ambulance trip and subsequent treatment. It was a terrifying 27-minute encounter. Tina was intubated in the ICU and unable to speak, but when she awakened, she motioned for a pen. What she wrote was both perplexing and profound: “It’s real.”
Tina feels her message is about a glimpse of paradise she experienced when “dead” from a severe heart attack. She described the colors she saw as dazzling, and she recalls seeing a figure standing in front of black gates with a radiant golden light behind them, which she believes is Jesus.
Tina was unable to talk, but she nodded when her loved ones asked whether her experience was real. Her story is amazing, and I’m thankful to be alive to share it.
When it comes to cardiac arrest outside of a medical facility, survival statistics are exceedingly low, with around 90% dying. Brian’s timely CPR saved Tina’s life. Bystander CPR increases cardiac arrest survival rates to more than 45%, compared to 10% without it (however, women are less likely to get CPR from anybody other than a paramedic).
Cardiac arrest happens abruptly and can be deadly. Even Tina, who has no history of cardiac illness or other health issues, may experience a sudden electrical breakdown, causing her heart to stop. This dreadful disease affects around 356,000 people in the United States each year.
According to research on Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), the majority of people have no remembrance of when they were technically dead; however, 10 to 20% report visual or sensory experiences. Scientists are starting to understand what happens in the brain when the heart stops pumping.
In a 2013 study on rats at the University of Michigan, researchers detected a spike in brain activity just before each animal died of abrupt cardiac arrest. The researchers described this surge as highly stimulated and coordinated brain activity, akin to hyperactivity.
This demonstrates that people who have near-death experiences, particularly those that match their beliefs about the afterlife, may have them because of an increase in conscious brain activity in the minutes immediately following death. However, more research is required to offer definitive scientific evidence.
The wording on Tina’s message was difficult to see, but her family feels the message was clear: paradise is a real place. This great tale is worth sharing with your family and friends to inspire and elevate them.