A heart attack can be terrifying and life-changing. For Tina Hines, it almost became fatal.
Tina, an active and healthy woman who enjoyed running and hiking, collapsed just before a planned hike with her husband, Brian. She was having a cardiac arrest. Brian later described her as not breathing, turning purple, and unresponsive. He immediately performed CPR while waiting for paramedics.
When they arrived, Tina was rushed to the hospital, and Brian feared she wouldn’t survive. He prayed as she remained unresponsive for 27 minutes before being revived.
After surviving, Tina shared a powerful near-death experience. She described seeing a bright light and later wrote “it’s real” on a notepad, pointing upward to suggest she had seen heaven.
Her niece later revealed this story publicly, saying Tina was clinically dead multiple times before being brought back. The phrase “it’s real” deeply impacted her family, leading her niece to even tattoo it in Tina’s handwriting.
Tina’s experience strengthened her belief in heaven and remains a powerful account of survival and faith.