‘Fit and healthy’ woman who ‘died’ at the gym for 17 minutes reveals what she saw – it wasn’t a tunnel of bright light
A “FIT and healthy” woman who lay lifeless on the gym floor for 17 minutes after her heart stopped revealed what she saw.
Victoria Thomas went into cardiac arrest aged just 35, after feeling dizzy and weak during a boot camp class at her local gym.
greaterbirminghamchambersVictoria Thomas died for 17 minutes – she had some peculiar visions while medics battled to restart her heart[/caption]
An ambulance arrived minutes after the accountant collapsed and paramedics started CPR, but it took 17 long minutes for Victoria’s heart to restart.
While many people who suffer near-death experiences describe peaceful visions and tunnels of bright light, this was not the case for Victoria.
She told the Mirror: “When it happened, it went black and there was nothing, then I became aware of looking down on my body.
“I was floating near the roof and was looking down at myself on the gym floor.
“My first thought was that my legs looked really fat.”
When she looked back on pictures of herself taken moments before her collapse, Victoria would realise that her legs had in fact been swollen.
“I didn’t see a light, or feel peaceful, I was just watching myself, and I could see some yellow machines around me,” she recalled.
Eventually, Victoria’s heart began beating again and she was taken to Bristol Royal Infirmary, where she spent three days in a coma.
The 35-year-old pulled through and she was allowed home after being fitted with a pacemaker to restart her heart in the event her body went into cardiac arrest again.
“I was so young, fit and healthy and it had come completely out of the blue,” she said.
Despite having no family history of heart issues, Victoria’s heart stopped several times in the following months – but she able to keep going with her life, thanks to the pacemaker.
In February 2021, Victoria, who lives in Gloucester, discovered she was expecting a baby.
The pregnancy placed pressure on her heart and the expectant mum began going into cardiac arrest even more regularly.
At 24 weeks, she was finally diagnosed with Danon disease – a rare genetic disorder that can damage the heart, muscles and brains, thought to affect fewer than a million people worldwide.
It is caused by a problem with a gene called LAMP 2, which results in a buildup of toxins that damage cells and organs.
Victoria remembered being too shocked to take in the diagnosis.
“The doctors wanted to deliver Tommy [Victoria’s son] at just 24 weeks, but I persuaded them to let me hang on a few more weeks,” the mum recalled.
“If he had been born at 24 weeks then he may not have survived.
What is Danon disease?
Danon disease is a rare genetic disorder that can affect you in many ways.
It most often damages your heart, muscles, retina and brain, though symptoms vary from person to person.
They may include:
Heart disease: These symptoms are usually the first to develop, and may include chest pain or tightness, fatigue and a sensation of fluttering or pounding in your chest.
Muscle weakness: You may have difficulty sitting or walking or experience weakness in your back, neck, shoulders and upper arms or upper thighs.
Eye problems: You may have blurred vision, eye floaters or flashes.
Intellectual disabilities: These are more common in males. They include behavioural problems, speech or language delays (common) and psychiatric issues (rare).
Source: Cleveland Clinic
“But by the time I was 30 weeks I couldn’t breathe properly because of the fluid build up around my body, so I had to have an emergency Caesarean.”
The birth went smoothly but Victoria soon discovered that her heart had been further damaged.
By the time Tommy was six months, she was so breathless that just climbing the stairs was a massive struggle
In April 2022, a hospital check-up found her heart was functioning at just 11 per cent capacity, meaning she was experiencing end-of-life heart failure.
The mum was told she’d need an heart transplant and was placed on an urgent waiting list.
She said: “I asked the doctors how long I had left and they told me I had just another couple of months.
“It was devastating. All I could think of was Tommy. I vowed I wouldn’t leave him.
“Two hearts were found – but further tests revealed they weren’t suitable.
“Each time I’d get my hopes up thinking this was it, that I was going to be saved.
“And then I was told that the operation couldn’t go ahead. I didn’t know if they were ever going to find a heart in time. I’d given up all hope.”
The mum’s prayers were answered in April 2023 when a suitable donor heart was found and she was able to undergo a transplant at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
The surgery was a success and she was allowed home that May.
The mum is now back to full strength, playing netball four times a week.
She’s even due to compete in both volleyball and basketball at the World Transplant Games in Germany next month.
Victoria said: “After the transplant, I didn’t think I was going to be able to play sports again.
“However, I was introduced to the British Transplant Games and that opened my eyes to the fact I could do exactly what I wanted.
“I played volleyball and I was picked for them to play for the British team.
“I’m spending time as a mum with my son and I’m back playing the sport that I love.
“I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at life, and to be a mum. It’s the greatest gift I could ever have asked for.”
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