A woman has shared her harrowing experience of surviving a near-death encounter with heatstroke, during which she was pronounced dead for three minutes. She also claims that watches malfunction whenever she wears them, adding to the strange occurrences surrounding her life.
Jade, while visiting a friend on a scorching summer afternoon in Green Bay, Wisconsin, found herself unexpectedly teetering on the brink of life and death. With the temperature soaring to 32 degrees Celsius and high humidity making it unbearable, Jade began experiencing frequent episodes of nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, and exhaustion, eventually collapsing on the living room sofa.
Rushed to the hospital, Jade, 36 years old, was declared dead for three minutes by medical professionals who attributed her condition to heatstroke. In an effort to raise awareness, she took to TikTok and shared her story, garnering over 191,000 views and more than 20,000 likes. Surprisingly, the encounter has made her unafraid of death.
“Prior to this incident, I had an extreme fear of dying. However, when it actually happened, I experienced no fear,” shared the content creator from Wisconsin in an interview with NeedToKnow.co.uk. “I consistently felt unwell and utterly sick. I was drained, lethargic, and plagued by an upset stomach, with an intensely dry mouth. When I went outside to smoke, I immediately sensed trouble upon standing up. Although I may not have fully comprehended that I was dying at that point, I did realize that I was spiraling downward.”
Jade stumbled back into the apartment, slumping onto the couch before emitting a gurgling sound. She described the events that followed as a whirlwind, with intense feelings of sickness overwhelming her. “My head felt like it was expanding while my entire body seemed to shrink. It was an entirely unfamiliar sensation,” she recalled. “It made me completely accepting of death because I longed for eternal sleep. And then, everything faded to black, the moment I knew my passing was imminent.”
Transported by ambulance to St Vincent’s Hospital, Jade was revived using a defibrillator. Although she drifted in and out of consciousness upon arrival, she underwent imaging tests, blood tests, electrocardiograms to assess her heart rhythm, and received injections to prevent blood clots over the next four days. Medical professionals later informed her that she had been declared “dead” for three minutes upon arrival, the result of heatstroke.
In her TikTok video, Jade discusses her story and the peculiar incidents that have occurred since. Users flooded the comments section, sharing their own reactions and personal experiences. One person mentioned fainting twice during the same summer, while another highlighted the unbearable heat experienced during their pregnancy. Others expressed interest in the subject and their own fears surrounding death.
Jade, who was born with Wolff Parkinsons’ White and postural tachycardia syndrome, conditions that affect heart rate, often feels as if her heart is about to fail and experiences extreme shakiness and fainting spells. The intense heat triggers these episodes, and although her near-death experience in July 2011 hasn’t exacerbated her symptoms, she believes it played a contributing role.
Since the incident, Jade has encountered frequent seizures, a phenomenon she had never experienced before. She initially suspected it to be a recurrence of heatstroke, but doctors believe it is a result of her ongoing exhaustion and anxiety from her near-death encounter. After undergoing tests, including MRIs, additional blood work, and consultations with a neurologist, she has been diagnosed with epilepsy. Although the seizures have become less frequent, she has connected with other near-death experience survivors who have also endured seizures before their sudden cessation.
Jade has also noticed other peculiar anomalies in her life, such as regular watches malfunctioning when worn, except for expensive smartwatches. Frustrated by this occurrence, she has given up on regular watches altogether. She has also experienced eerie phenomena, including hearing voices and witnessing things that aren’t there. Recording her home due to fear of losing her sanity, Jade believes these occurrences are indicative of life continuing after death. She considers herself part of a special club and has learned to prioritize self-care and value life more. Unafraid of death, she believes that any fear will dissipate when her time comes.
The most significant lesson she has learned is that the fear itself is often worse than the actual thing feared, validating the age-old adage.
