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The student who came back to life

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Z

zer0blivion

Member
Tayyab Jafar tells The Journal the remarkable story of how he survived death

“I had died around 3 or 4 a.m. and they found my body at 8:30 a.m.”

On January 15 of this year, Tayyab Jafar died of hypothermia in the snow somewhere near Queen's campus.

Jafar's body was found by his housemate, something he learned later on.

When it comes to the circumstances of his death, Jafar, ArtSci '17 can only rely on what he's told. According to the newly-returned Queen's student, his parents know more about the first week after his death than he does, and every time he hears it, Jafar learns something new.

On that snowy morning in January, he was rushed to Kingston General Hospital (KGH) to be treated by a large number of doctors and nurses. After being dead for five and a half hours, Jafar had no heartbeat or vital signs and had already started to bloat, a natural process that occurs after death, when he was admitted to the hospital's care.

“I thought they were exaggerating but when I saw the pictures, they weren't joking. My head was the size of a watermelon,” Jafar said, gesturing to his head.
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Given the news of their son's passing, Jafar said his parents were panicking, getting dressed and ready to drive the four hours it took to get to Kingston. That was, until the police came again with more information.

“At 9:30 a.m., the police got a radio call saying that I had a heartbeat and they had revived me.”

Jafar pulled up his shirt to reveal the scars on his ribcage from the CPR that was performed on him for an hour and a half. The scars weren't from the CPR itself but rather the incisions from when the doctors checked Jafar's internal health with a camera.

When asked if he remembers what it was like being dead, Jafar said he wasn't too certain.

“I don't know if it, maybe, was the coma they put me in but I just remember there was nothing.”

“It's hard to describe, I can't just say I saw black or grey, there was just nothing and then, all of sudden, there was something and it was me alive.”
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Jafar's depression turned into boredom and he began to re-teach himself independence. He found that he could use computers typing with one finger at a time for short periods of time.

One day, while watching his brothers play video games, Jafar discovered a hidden talent of being able to play with his feet. Jafar used that skill to dominate his brothers in all the console games.

“Once I figured out I could play video games with my feet, I kind of got a little bit lax on the physical exercises the physiotherapist gave me,” he said.

Jafar said that he eventually got to the point where he was playing The Witcher on the hardest level possible and even caught the developers' attention through a Reddit post, receiving a goodie bag.

“It was amazing,” Jafar said, grinning.

Recovering ahead of the doctors' original estimations, Jafar miraculously avoided the brain damage typically associated with hypothermia. He's now back at Queen's taking a reduced and accommodated course load in the general Arts program after formerly being an Astrophysics major.

Jafar says he's looking forward to having a normal life again and is trying not to think too far ahead.

“Right now, I'm in that phase where it can wait.”
sHw1XpI.jpg

Jafar, pictured on the bottom left, healthy and smiling with his friends in the fall semester of 2016.
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It's nice to see news about Queen's University students that doesn't involve racist parties, drunken debauchery, and assault of police horses.
 
M

Mr. Giggles

Member
Well that's something.

I wonder how the doctors decided to keep trying to resuscitate even though his vitals were not there
 
E

ElNino

Member
zer0blivion said:
It's nice to see news about Queen's University students that doesn't involve racist parties, drunken debauchery, and assault of police horses.
Click to expand...
They were able to get their drinks into this photo though, so I wouldn't count anything out for Queen's.
My wife is a Queen's alumni
 
T

The Lamp

Member
Why and how did a hospital admit a dead person?

Who pronounced him dead? No heartbeat or breathing is pretty dead, plus bloating.

Why is he playing video games with his feet if he had no brain damage? Did he have limbs or fingers amputated?
 
A

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
The real miracle is that he doesn't seem to have any brain damage.
 
DOWN

DOWN

Banned
This is like those books where people like doctors say they died and met god so heaven is real but ignore that it means they didn't actually die
 
A

A Fish Aficionado

I am going to make it through this year if it kills me
Melkr_ said:
Don't You have a hearbeat while in a coma? He wasn't comatose going by what the story says.
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Docs wouldn't do such extreme procedures if he was dead.

The writer wants to sell a story. Modern medicine is awesome but routine.
 
M

Megalosaro

Banned
The Lamp said:
Why and how did a hospital admit a dead person?

Who pronounced him dead? No heartbeat or breathing is pretty dead, plus bloating.

Why is he playing video games with his feet if he had no brain damage? Did he have limbs or fingers amputated?
Click to expand...

He stI'll has his arms. But nerve damage has left them unusable.
 
B

Boem

Member
This reads like your standard 80s Daily Mail type rag, back when they still ran stories like 'I married an alien' and 'Angels saved me after my car crash'.

I'm sure the kid made a great recovery, but they're being deliberately vague and they're bending the facts for this article.
 
Emerson

Emerson

May contain jokes =>
Hindl said:
That's what I was curious about. Why try CPR for an hour and a half when there was no sign of life?
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Mr. Giggles said:
Well that's something.

I wonder how the doctors decided to keep trying to resuscitate even though his vitals were not there
Click to expand...

Old emergency medicine saying: you aren't dead until you are warm and dead.

People who are truly dead with no pulse for extended periods can genuinely be resuscitated in some cases if they were at very cold temperatures during that time. Even more remarkable recoveries are possible with children.
 
nekkid

nekkid

It doesn't matter who we are, what matters is our plan.
Hindl said:
That's what I was curious about. Why try CPR for an hour and a half when there was no sign of life?
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I would have thought that question had been well and truly answered.
 
M

Mr. Giggles

Member
Palmer_v1 said:
Slow shift, probably.
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Lol

Hindl said:
That's what I was curious about. Why try CPR for an hour and a half when there was no sign of life?
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Seriously, the doctors deserve a tall glass of cognac for this

Emerson said:
Old emergency medicine saying: you aren't dead until you are warm and dead.

People who are truly dead with no pulse for extended periods can genuinely be resuscitated in some cases if they were at very cold temperatures during that time. Even more remarkable recoveries are possible with children.
Click to expand...

Wow, remind me to die in cold places.....just in case...
 
S

SaganIsGOAT

Junior Member
Interesting. So when you die the experience just ends. Who woulda thunk?

This is why death ain't scary
There isn't even an experience to be had, it's just poof, goodbye.
 
F

FluxWaveZ

Member
SaganIsGOAT said:
Interesting. So when you die the experience just ends. Who woulda thunk?

This is why death ain't scary
There isn't even an experience to be had, it's just poof, goodbye.
Click to expand...

If you're talking about it like he actually died, then it's like you're saying you believe in resurrection.

Dude didn't die. People don't come back to life when they die.
 
Z

zer0blivion

Member
Bubba_Sparks said:
I live in Kingston and don't remember hearing about this! Really random to see Queen's/Kingston news on NeoGAF.
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I actually live in Kingston too. My mom works in the KGH emergency department and was there when they brought him in.

Emerson said:
Old emergency medicine saying: you aren't dead until you are warm and dead.

People who are truly dead with no pulse for extended periods can genuinely be resuscitated in some cases if they were at very cold temperatures during that time. Even more remarkable recoveries are possible with children.
Click to expand...

This is accurate. Extreme cold slows down the body's metabolism and helps preserve organs. If this had happened any other time of year, he would not have recovered.
 
H

How About No

Member
Wow that's some scary shit, awesome recovery

When asked if he remembers what it was like being dead, Jafar said he wasn't too certain.

“I don't know if it, maybe, was the coma they put me in but I just remember there was nothing.”
Click to expand...

23212142_1452741178.1111_YnyPaq_n.jpg


Afterlife sounds lame I think I can recommend not dying

Peter Ian Staker said:
.
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Lol did you just spoil the books?

But unsurprising to anyone
 
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