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Dead 43 Minutes, Attleboro Woman Brought To Life

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Oct 16, 2009 11:38 pm US/Eastern

Dead 43 Minutes, Attleboro Woman Brought To Life

Reporting
Beth Germano
BOSTON (WBZ) ― Laura Geraghty was just 46 years old when she suffered a massive heart attack last April, while working as a bus driver at Newton South High School.

Her story of survival is nothing short of a miracle.

"I had a pain that went right up my left arm and right into my heart. I immediately knew something wasn't right," she tells WBZ-TV.

 Watch: "It Was Very Bright, Very Beautiful"

Fortunately for Laura, the school nurse started administering CPR right away using a defibrillator, and was able to keep the blood flowing to Laura's brain, but she was technically dead for a full 43 minutes. It took 21 shocks from the time she was transported from the school to a hospital emergency room to bring her back to life.

"The brain has only three minutes before it starts to sustain damage," said Dr. Ken Rosenfield of Massachusetts General Hospital.

Geraghty says the 21st shock gave the doctors a shock because surprisingly her heart beat came back. But Geraghty also credits something more than medicine for her survival. She remembers seeing images of her children and grandchildren over and over.

 Watch: "This Massive Energy Came Over Me"

"That was the energy, the powerful, powerful energy."

But she also describes floating up to a place that was "bright, very beautiful, very quiet and peaceful."

It was there she says she encountered her mother and her ex-husband, both of whom died six years ago.

"I reached out to my friend to take my hand and he wouldn't," she said.

An indication she believes that it was not her time to die.

"Obviously my time on earth isn't done. Obviously I was put back here for a reason."

 Watch: "My Time Here On Earth Isn't Done"

Part of that reason, she believes, is to educate about the importance of CPR training. There were previous minutes that helped her survive, and she's lobbying to require all high school students receive the training in order to graduate. She defied expectations and walked out of the hospital nine days after her attack.

"I know that heaven is a beautiful place, I know when I die I'm going to a very special, very beautiful place," she said.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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