A 20-year-old woman experienced a life-threatening medical emergency after consuming a widely used energy drink during her workout.
Jazmin Garza was engaged in weighted deadlifts with her boyfriend, Isaac Ayala, when she began to feel light-headed and dizzy in late November.
Having consumed one-third of a can of Ghost, a caffeinated energy drink, she attempted to sit down to regain her composure when she collapsed and began experiencing a seizure.
Isaac immediately responded to the situation, discovering that Jazmin’s heart had ceased to beat and that she was not breathing.
He initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until paramedics arrived, subsequently employing defibrillation to restore her cardiac function.
At the time, Jazmin was in Iowa, although she is a resident of Texas.
According to Daily Mail, Medical professionals informed her family that she had suffered multiple episodes of cardiac arrest, with her heart stopping for a duration of five minutes on one occasion.
These incidents resulted in the deprivation of oxygen to her brain and vital organs, leading to severe damage to her kidneys, lungs, and heart. She was placed on life support to facilitate her recovery.
Medical staff advised Jazmin’s family that a significant recovery would require a miracle, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding her condition.
Jazmin recounted her experience, stating, “We were at the gym and were in the middle of a workout doing a single-leg deadlift when suddenly I did not feel well.
I generally do not consume caffeinated beverages. Having not attended the gym for some time, I decided to have a small portion of an energy drink to enhance my workout.
After exercising, I seated myself and felt increasingly unwell, at which point I sensed light-headedness. Isaac mentioned that I appeared very pale.”
She further described her disorientation during the seizure: “Isaac informed me afterwards that I started having a seizure.
I had no prior experience with seizures and was unaware of what was happening.”
Throughout her time under paramedics’ care, Jazmin experienced cardiac arrest four times before being connected to a life support system upon her arrival at the hospital.
Jazmin articulated her shock upon regaining consciousness, expressing, “I was very panicked waking up in the hospital and being told that my heart had stopped.”
Isaac subsequently established a GoFundMe campaign for Jazmin, indicating that she was placed on three different life support systems, including ECMO, a device that assists in oxygenating the blood, dialysis for kidney waste removal, and a machine for managing her oxygen levels.