When a pregnant teacher in Texas collapsed, her coworkers rushed to
help. The woman technically died, gave birth and then was brought back
to life.Erica Nigrelli, an English teacher at Elkins High School in Missouri City, Texas, collapsed in a co-worker's classroom when she was 36 weeks pregnant.
"Apparently I told her, 'I feel very faint,' and I put my head down and I essentially just passed out," Erica Nigrelli said.
Erica's husband, Nathan, is also a teacher at Elkins.
"I opened the door and walked in and Erica was laying on the floor," he said.
Erica Nigrelli's heart had stopped. Some co-workers started CPR and used a defibrillator to get it working again. They kept her alive until paramedics came and rushed her to the hospital.
Doctors delivered baby Elayna by emergency caesarean section. It was technically a post-mortem delivery because Erica's heart wasn't beating.
"There were two lives that were hanging in the balance the whole time."
Erica Nigrelli had an undetected heart defect, and the fact mom and baby are here today is a testament to her co-workers.
Erica Nigrelli is only 32 years old, but doctors installed a pacemaker.
Three-month-old Elayna now weighs a whopping 9 pounds, and could be off oxygen as early as next week.
