TITLE: 8 Minutes

I am starting my story from the end—at the moment the miracle has already happened. It’s the only way I can bear to tell it. My husband went in for a routine surgery. He was strong, and I should have felt calm, but something inside me whispered a warning. I remember asking the doctors, “Please… just bring him back to me.” They reassured me. They smiled. The surgery ended. They said he was fine. I was waiting to see my husband when the hospital alarm shattered the air:

“CARDIAC ARREST. CODE BLUE. CARDIAC ARREST CODE BLUE”

My heart dropped. Not him. Please, not him. But it was him. His heart had stopped.

Eight minutes without a heartbeat. Eight endless minutes while the doctors fought for his life.

What happened to him during that time? Did his life flash before him?

And then—beyond every fear—the miracle happened.....

AUTHOR: Helen McLain (United States)