Just 16 hours after being declared dead, an 8-month-old baby in Brazil stunned grieving family members by moving her hand and gripping a mourner’s fingers inside her tiny white coffin.
On October 19, 2024, Cristiano Santos and Katia Moreira rushed their daughter, Kiara, to a hospital in Santa Catarina after finding her unresponsive. Doctors reported no pulse or breathing and pronounced her dead. Preparations for her burial began the same day.
Hours later, during the wake, Kiara’s hand twitched. Paramedics were called and found she had a pulse and low oxygen levels, with no signs of rigor mortis. She was rushed back to the same hospital, but tragically died again shortly after.
Brazil’s Scientific Police launched an investigation into how the hospital declared Kiara dead twice in 16 hours. The city issued an apology and announced a 30-day inquiry, though results remain unclear.
Kiara’s father later expressed anger and heartbreak on social media, questioning how her death could be ruled natural and condemning what he called a devastating failure in care.