A Paraguayan family received a huge surprise when their premature baby boy was declared dead and later found to be alive when he was taken home for a funeral wake.
The baby was born 16 weeks prematurely at a state-run hospital in the capital of Asuncion. The hospital pronounced him dead after staff tried to revive him for an hour, a doctor who works in the maternity unit told the BBC. According to medical records he weighed only 1.1 pounds when he was born.
"Initially, the baby didn't move, he practically didn't have any respiratory reflexes, nor did we hear a heartbeat and, as a result, we declared a premature fetus of 24 weeks dead," Dr. Ernesto Weber, head of pediatric care at the hospital, told Reuters Television.
The hospital provided the parents Liliana and Jose Alvarenga with a death certificate and a "coffin," a cardboard box with the baby's name scribbled on the side. They placed their deceased child in the box, went home, and then the unbelievable happened.
"I opened the box and took the baby out and he cried. I got scared and I said 'the baby's crying' ... and then he started moving his arms, his legs and I got scared, we got very scared," Liliana told Reuters Television.
The baby is now back at the hospital's intensive care unit and reported to be in a stable condition. An investigation is looking into what happened.
Liliana and Jose Alvarenga have been on an emotional roller-coaster that nobody should have to endure.
Last week, doctors told the parents that their baby boy was dead, shortly after being born prematurely at a state-run hospital in Paraguay. But when the Alvarengas brought their son home, he did the unbelievable and started to cry. He was actually alive. (SFGate ran a blog post on the uplifting story earlier today.)
But medical staff told the BBC News that Angel Salvador later lost his fight to live. His vital organs were not strong enough to survive. His death was confirmed Monday.
HAHAHAHAHAHA I was just going to say that Chris! Didnt want to be responsible for starting another political war.
I know... It's so timely though with all the discussion of healthcare. "State run hospital" jumped out at me. I know the truth is there's good ones and bad ones. Terrible things as well as miracles happen at all hospitals. I just hope we keep moving towards more miracles and less stories like this one.
Ok, you can read between the lines, don't turn us into England! That's all I'm asking for...
Wow! That's amazing! The parents must have freaked.
It's nice to know we have that to look forward to...
SO on the button! Now, don't you have a town meeting to attend?
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That's all I'm asking for...
Now, don't you have a town meeting to attend?
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