In São José, Brazil, a 90-year-old woman, Norma Silveira da Silva, was mistakenly declared dead and then later found alive in a body bag at a morgue. The mistake was discovered on November 25, 2023, just hours after the hospital staff at São José Regional Hospital had officially pronounced her dead.
Da Silva was initially hospitalized on Friday, November 24, 2023, for what was believed to be liver issues. Jessica Martins Silvi Pereira, a close acquaintance and caregiver of da Silva, noted that her friend was unresponsive but managed to open one eye during a visit earlier that day.
The family was informed of her death later that night, with the initial death certificate citing a urinary tract infection as the cause.
After spending nearly two hours inside a body bag, da Silva was found to be alive, narrowly avoiding suffocation. A crematorium worker, arriving to collect da Silva’s body around 1:30 a.m., discovered that she was still warm, contradicting the expected signs of rigor mortis. This observation led to the shocking revelation that da Silva was, in fact, still alive.
She was promptly returned to the hospital. Unfortunately, she was pronounced dead a second time early Monday morning, with septic shock listed as the cause on her second death certificate.
The misdiagnosis has raised serious questions about the hospital’s procedures and oversight, and da Silva’s family is reportedly planning to sue the hospital. The situation, deemed as a case of neglect by her caregiver Pereira, highlights the need for stringent checks in medical protocols to prevent such grave errors.
The repercussions of such mistakes extend far beyond mere procedural errors, touching the very essence of human dignity and respect for life.
The incident is currently under investigation to determine the extent to which da Silva’s premature trip to the morgue contributed to her eventual passing.
