Detroit mom of special needs woman 'devastated' after daughter who was declared dead opened eyes in funeral home
DETROIT, MICHIGAN: The mother of a 20-year-old woman from with special needs has said that she was left "devastated" by the ordeal her daughter had to go through after she was declared dead on Sunday, August 23. It was only hours later that funeral home staffers found the woman with her eyes open and breathing, reports state.
Timesha Beauchamp's mother, while talking to ClickOnDetroit, on Monday, August 24, said: "I’m devastated that my daughter is going through what she’s going through. My family, her twin brother, her older brother - it’s just, I don’t even have words. I haven’t slept all night. I just don’t know what to do. My heart is so heavy."
The family's lawyer said that Beauchamp is now on a ventilator at a Detroit hospital fighting for her life. The incident reportedly began on Sunday, August 23, at 7:30 AM when her family called 911 after Beauchamp became unresponsive at her home. Southfield Fire Department paramedics then performed CPR on her, however, she was declared dead by them. The 20-year-old's body was released to her family for funeral preparations because there were no signs of foul play in the case.
The youngster's body was then taken to James H Cole Home for Funerals in Detroit on Sunday noon. It was then when funeral home staffers discovered that the woman was alive and breathing. Beauchamp's mother, who has not been identified, told the outlet that when the paramedics arrived at her home on Sunday, they said: "Ma’am, she’s gone." She then asked: "Are you absolutely, 100 percent sure that she’s gone?" To which, they replied with: "Yes, ma’am, she’s gone."
The mother said that a few hours after the declaration, she received a call from someone from the funeral home with news that "devastated" her life. The funeral home staffer reportedly told her: "Ma’am, your daughter is on her way to Sinai Grace Hospital. She is breathing. She is alive."
Beauchamp's mother said that the statement "devastated my life" adding that she responded to them saying, "What do you mean? What do you mean she’s breathing?" The mother, on Monday, said that she was unsure if her daughter will be able to recover and survive from the ordeal she has suffered. She, however, added that she wants answers from authorities on what happened.
Southfield Fire Chief Johnny Menifee released a statement on Monday, saying that the first responders performed CPR and other "life reviving methods" for 30 minutes. The statement read: "Given medical readings and the condition of the patient, it was determined at that time that she did not have signs of life."
The outlet reported that unnamed sources with information about the case claimed that Southfield police officers observed the patient move and breathe and called the EMTs back, however, paramedics allegedly claimed that the movement was just side effects of the medication administered to her. Attorney Geoffrey Fieger, in a statement to WXYZ, said that Beauchamp's godmother, a registered nurse, told the medics that she detected a pulse in her.