Tina Hines suffered a severe cardiac arrest while getting ready for a hike with her husband, Brian. Her heart stopped, leaving her clinically dead for 27 minutes. Brian performed CPR until paramedics arrived and revived her during the ambulance ride to the hospital.
The Desperate Revival
Paramedics worked frantically as Tina drifted in and out of consciousness en route to medical care. Doctors stabilized her condition after nearly half an hour without a heartbeat. Upon regaining awareness, though unable to speak, she grabbed a pen and paper. With shaky hands and barely open eyes, she wrote two words: “It’s real.”
Unraveling the Message
Brian puzzled over the note at first, wondering if it referred to her pain or the hospital environment. When he asked, Tina shook her head. Their daughter mentioned heaven, prompting a nod of confirmation from Tina.
A Glimpse of the Afterlife
After a full recovery, Tina shared details of her profound experience. She described overwhelming peace and serenity, along with a vision of Jesus standing amid a radiant glow, arms extended. “The colors were so vibrant,” she recalled. “It was so real.”
The ordeal inspired Tina to author a book detailing how it reshaped her views on life, fear, and death.
Differing Perspectives
While many view such near-death encounters as evidence of an afterlife, medical experts offer another explanation. They note that the brain experiences heightened activity during cardiac arrest, potentially causing vivid hallucinations influenced by personal beliefs.
Tina stands firm in her conviction. “Jesus is real,” she asserts. “Heaven is real.”
