A Stafford Mum who was “clinically dead” for 14 minutes after collapsing at a hospital has shared her miraculous story of survival, revealing she woke up to find she had given birth to a healthy baby girl. Natasha Sokunbi, 30, was 37 weeks pregnant when she experienced chest pains and struggled to breathe. After calling 111 for advice, she was instructed to go to A&E at Royal Stoke University Hospital, according to the Mirror.
Upon arrival, Natasha collapsed from a cardiac arrest in the waiting room. Medical teams immediately sprang into action, battling to save both her life and the life of her unborn child. Just four minutes after being rushed into surgery, doctors performed an emergency caesarean section and delivered a 6lbs 7oz baby girl named Beau.
“One team of medics was delivering her via C-section while another team performed CPR on me,” Natasha recalled. “My heart wasn’t beating when the doctors delivered Beau. I was basically dead when they pulled her out.”
After spending over 30 minutes in resuscitation, Natasha was placed into an induced coma. She woke up the next day in the critical care unit, where her husband, Ayo, told her they had a baby girl. “We hadn’t found out the sex, so it was a complete surprise,” Natasha said. Although she couldn’t see Beau immediately as she was in the neonatal unit, Natasha was finally able to meet her daughter a few days later.
Natasha’s collapse occurred on December 3, just as she and Ayo were eagerly anticipating the birth of their second child. She had been feeling unwell for weeks due to a chest infection but thought it was just a temporary illness. Natasha explained, “I got a taxi to the hospital and went into triage. I told them I was really having problems breathing and they told me to wait. As I walked back into the waiting room, I collapsed.”
Her husband, Ayo, was initially unaware of the seriousness of the situation. When he received the call from the hospital, he thought they were informing him of the baby’s arrival but was quickly told to rush to the hospital immediately. Natasha recalled, “When I was in the coma, I can remember hearing him talking to me saying ‘Come on Tash’ ‘Please wake up.’”
After a three-week stay at Royal Stoke University Hospital, Natasha underwent surgery to have an ICD heart-starter device fitted to prevent future cardiac arrests. She is now back at home caring for Beau and her 15-month-old daughter, Love. Natasha expressed her gratitude, saying, “Beau is a miracle, and I’m just so grateful to the doctors for saving me and Beau. I’m much more appreciative of life and won’t take anything for granted ever again.”
In recognition of the medical team’s extraordinary efforts, the staff involved in Natasha and Beau’s care were presented with the Chief Executive Award. Dr. Andrew Bennett, who was among the first to treat Natasha, praised the teamwork involved, saying, “The number of clinical teams involved is huge. This has got to be one of the proudest moments that this department has ever seen.”
The Sokunbi family’s story highlights the incredible skill and teamwork that saved two lives that day, and Natasha remains thankful for the doctors who helped her and Beau survive a situation that could have easily ended in tragedy.
