A woman from Arizona experienced a remarkable return to life after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest. She was clinically dead for 27 minutes before doctors revived her, and she awoke with an urgent message she felt compelled to share.
Tina Hines, an active mom of four, was with her husband Brian preparing for a hike when she collapsed in their driveway. As time seemed to stand still, Brian called 911 and performed CPR with the help of a neighbor. The paramedics arrived and, despite successfully reviving her multiple times, Tina’s heart stopped five times in total before she regained consciousness after 27 long minutes.
Upon reviving, Tina had an immediate desire to communicate something important, but she was intubated and unable to speak. Indicating for a pen, she created an intense moment for her family as she scribbled a note. At first, her effort seemed unclear, but eventually, they deciphered her message.
“She began making marks, and I couldn’t tell what it was. I was almost shaking,” Brian recounted. “I held the book steady and then realized she wrote I-T-S-R-E-A-L. ‘What’s it’s real?’ I asked. ‘The pain? The hospital?’ Slowly she nodded her head, eyes closed, still on the ventilator,” he elaborated.
The scribbled message, “It’s real,” was eventually connected to a spiritual insight. Tina nodded affirmatively when her daughter asked if she meant heaven. Once able to speak, Tina confirmed she had indeed crossed into what she described as the “other side” during her 27 minutes of clinical death.
According to Tina, she encountered an extraordinary vision of heaven and Jesus. “It was so real, the colors were so vibrant,” she recalled. Tina vividly described seeing Jesus bathed in a bright yellow glow in front of black gates, offering her a sense of unbelievable rest and peace. “I saw Jesus face to face, with his arms open wide. Behind him was a most vibrant, beautiful yellow glow,” she shared.
A post shared by Madie Johnson (@madiejohnson)
Miraculously, just four days after the incident, Tina was discharged from the hospital, fully recovered. Her near-death experience greatly deepened her family’s faith. Inspired by her aunt’s experience, Tina’s niece Madie Johnson decided to get the words “It’s real,” tattooed on her wrist in Tina’s handwriting.
Madie later posted about the experience and her tattoo on social media, writing, “Her story is too real not to share and has strengthened my confidence in a faith that often goes unseen.” She added, “It has given me a palpable hope in something eternal just within reach.”
