Baby ‘starts moving’ in body bag hours after being declared dead by major hospital
Noah Gabriel da Cruz Santos was declared dead after suffering a heart and lung issue, but a funeral worker said she found the baby ‘moving’ inside a body bag soon afterwards
Noah was found alive shortly after he was declared dead(Image: Family handout)
A baby who had been pronounced dead was discovered to be alive shortly after – when a shocked funeral worker noticed the supposed corpse ‘moving’ within a body bag.
Noah Gabriel da Cruz Santos was born in Brazil, but on July 15, at just one month old, he experienced complications with his heart and lungs at Santa Casa hospital in São Paulo.
Prior to his apparent death, he had been moved to the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as he needed surgery and was awaiting transfer when the incident occurred.
The parents were told of their son’s supposed death, but funeral worker Regina Célia Paschoal later reported finding young Noah moving inside the body bag where he had been placed.
Following the incident, Santa Casa has insisted it adhered to all proper protocols regarding Noah’s death declaration.
Noah was born earlier this year (Image: Family handout)
In a statement, they explained that CPR procedures, which continued for 45 minutes, were immediately commenced on Noah, and when all life-saving efforts proved unsuccessful, Noah was pronounced dead that afternoon.
They emphasised that all appropriate procedures were observed during Noah’s stay at their facility, stating: “The Brazilian protocol for confirming death is recognised for its high standards of rigour and safety.”
Speaking to EPTV about the matter, Regina, who boasts 17 years of experience, remembered: “I opened it, and the baby started moving even more; he was making a noise, as if trying to breathe.”
Regina’s workmate, Mattheus Batagello, reiterated her account, confessing that initially they questioned whether another factor was causing the movement: “It was a desperate moment, but also a relief, you know?”
He revealed that he alerted other nurses to examine Noah as he noticed the infant making “a sort of hiccupping sound”. Once it was established that Noah was alive, he was swiftly readmitted to the neonatal unit for intensive care to aid his recovery.
Noah was born prematurely (Image: Family handout)
In the aftermath of the incident, Noah’s mum, Letícia Cristina da Cruz Santos, has opened up about the experience. In a video she posted on social media, she recounted how she and her husband saw their son’s body following his cardiorespiratory event.
She expressed: “We are contemplating God’s greatness and admiring our little warrior, who continues to fight to get well. We fully believe in our miracle […] miracles can’t be explained; they must be experienced.
“Sometimes I feel like we’re dreaming, not just me; I was talking to my husband just a little while ago inside the hospital, looking at him [Noah] as he moved around, kicking his little legs with his eyes open. We’re just in awe. I actually witnessed the moment it happened, how the doctor reacted and how hard she fought to try to resuscitate him.”
Leticia, who has commended the care Noah received during his 32-day hospital stay, shared that she and her husband spent approximately an hour with their child after he passed away. She recounted the moment they were informed their son was alive, as reported by G1.
She stated: “When we arrived, we went back into the ICU, and they told us about our miracle. All I could do was say ‘Glory to God’ and weep.”
In a bizarre turn of events, Noah’s revival coincided with the day he was originally due to be born, with the infant actually making his entrance into the world a month early.
