A Texas teen who went into cardiac arrest was brought back to life after his mother prayed for him.
In an exclusive interview with People, Jennifer Berko and Craig Berko, the parents of Sammy Berko, 16, recalled the moment he went limp while rock climbing with his friends at a gym on Jan. 7.
A radiologist happened to be present when Sammy Berko, who was diagnosed with a rare genetic heart condition called catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), fell unconscious.
“It’s a very shocking diagnosis,” Jennifer Berko explained. “What we’ve been told about CPVT is usually your first cardiac arrest is your last.”
The doctor then performed two hours of CPR on the teen and he was rushed to Texas Children’s Hospital where doctors continued to perform life-saving measures on him. However, he was pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m.
His parents recalled being told to say their last goodbyes to their son.
“They said, ‘We’re so sorry, we can’t do anything else,’” Craig Berko explained
Jennifer Berko said she remembered telling her son how much she loved him and started to pray.
After she prayed over him, Sammy Berko suddenly began to move. Craig Berko called for a doctor who rushed him to the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU), initially believing his movement was only a reflex, according to People.
“That was a very long night,” Jennifer Berko remembered.
The next morning, doctors delivered more bad news — their son’s organs were shutting down and he was not expected to survive that day.
“That was devastating,” Jennifer Berko shared.
However, she refused to give up on her son.
“After watching my son be pronounced dead and brought back to life, I didn’t believe it… I didn’t think he would die,” she said.
Despite the prognosis, Jennifer Berko went over to her son’s bedside and encouraged him to fight.
She shared:
“I said, ‘Sammy, they’re telling us you’re not going to make it through the next 24 hours. I want you to know that I don’t believe a word of it. I have seen you come back to life. And if you can do that, then I truly believe you are going to pull through. I know you will come back to us. I know you will wake up.’”
Later that same day, Sammy Berko woke up.
“It was miraculous,” Jennifer Berko said.
While in the hospital, Sammy Berko also suffered a serious spinal cord injury and became partially paralyzed from the waist down. With the help of a walker and leg braces, he was able to walk out of the rehab facility independently after 58 days.
“He is literally a miracle,” Stacey Hall, medical director of Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann, said. “He’s truly amazing.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help with Sammy’s medical expenses.