Family and friends are mourning the passing of 71-year-old Mathri Gomez, who died on Saturday, April 6, 2013. Gomez’ death has captured the attention of the community in Dangriga Town because it’s not the first time that the family has had to announce her death.

It is a peculiar case — that of a woman being pronounced dead twice, but Gomez’ family said they call the first “resurrection” a miracle.

Gomez was admitted into the Southern Regional Hospital last week; her medical condition was degenerating and it was decided by the family and hospital that she would be transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital on Wednesday, April 3.

Gomez was to be transported by airplane to Belize City. However, upon arriving at the Dangriga airstrip, she had no pulse and the doctor pronounced her dead. She was then taken back to the Southern Regional Hospital, the family told us.

One of her daughters, Vivian Gomez, who was present at the airstrip, said that the doctor had removed all machine connections from her mother’s body at the airstrip after she stopped breathing and covered her face. When they arrived at the hospital, the doctors tried once again to resuscitate Gomez, but to no avail. They then officially pronounced her dead.

The body was not taken to the morgue, but was left in the emergency room. However, about half hour after being pronounced dead, the unexpected occurred – Gomez awoke from “death.”

She was stabilized and readmitted into the female ward at the hospital.

On Friday, April 5, Amandala visited the hospital, where the family told us that Gomez was conscious and fully aware of her surroundings. We were told that the only medical issue Gomez had at that time was fluid in her lungs, which was being attended to by the doctors.

The family said Gomez was communicating with them as normal, and was able to move her body on her own after being stabilized.

Unfortunately, on Saturday Gomez’s lung condition worsened. She began struggling for breath and eventually succumbed to her illness.

We contacted the family today, Monday, and they said that they are in shock at losing their loved one, because they did not expect her to die after she appeared to be doing well.

In order to confirm the story behind Gomez’s “first death” situation, on Thursday, April 4, we spoke to the administrator for the Southern Regional Hospital, who said that Gomez did not die, as the family told us that the doctor had told them, but had suffered from cardiac arrest.

The family insists that the doctor had pronounced their mother dead.¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬