Mom Hears Her Sons' Goodbyes to Her in Coma, Fights for Her Life to See Them Again

A mother's unending love for her children was put to the test as she lay between life and death, but she survived the ordeal, having fought at the last minute.

Dianne Akurangi's life revolved heavily around healthy living, from being an active rugby player to being a bodybuilder and gym owner. However, she was caught off-guard after doctors told her she had three blocked arteries.

Dianne was to undergo triple bypass surgery, and after going through the process, things took a turn for the worse. Here's the miraculous story of how Dianne Akurangi tapped into strength for survival through her sons.

DIANNE AKURANGI'S ORDEAL

A few months before her wedding to Reweti, with whom she shares two kids, Dianne's life was altered by the sad news that she had blocked arteries. It was even more gloomy because it was close to her big day.

However, the fitness expert decided to go through with the surgery in September 2020. Before the day of her surgery, Dianne had joked to Reweti not to take her off life support while she was yet to be put under general anesthetic.

Things became bumpy on the day of the surgery, leading to significant complications. At this point, Dianne's joke became ominous as she stopped responding to treatment.

In the early hours of the following day, Reweti received a call from the hospital about Dianne's health update.

The doctors explained that her heart went "boom" as soon as it was touched. After that, Dianne's consciousness was in a spasm as doctors fought to bring her back. Reweti recalled:

"The voice on the other end made your stomach churn because they too were speaking in a broken voice."

THE DIRE SITUATION OF DIANNE'S HEALTH

The poor state of Dianne's heart caused the doctors to perform a quadruple bypass instead of the planned triple bypass. But, according to those in charge, the operation was unsuccessful.

The 39-year-old went into three cardiac arrests during her surgery. The third cardiac arrest was resolved manually as the doctor worked her heart muscles.

It was clear that Dianne might not survive the dire situation following the surgery. So, in essence, the doctors called Reweti to bring in the kids. This was so they could say their final farewells to their beloved mom.

HOW DIANNE REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS

Reweti recalled how their youngest son Te Awa kept telling his mom he loved her at the purported last hour of her life." Love you mom, love you mom, love you mom," he said.

However, the hour passed, and Dianne was still fighting for her life. Nevertheless, her heart was pumping, and her brain activity was intact.

Dianne continued to fight despite being comatose. She was transferred to another hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, where more surgeries were performed.

There was a slim chance that Dianne would survive the health ordeal, as doctors posited that she would either not wake up or lose the ability to walk or speak. However, according to Dianne, she was very much active during the waiting period. The rugby player shared:

"I was seeing things like they were real. I could see myself dead in a box, looking down. It was like watching TV and you are flicking from one episode to the next."

Dianne shared that she heard her sons tell her they loved her and also told her to fight. She said "Te Awa was saying, 'I love you, Momma'. Naish going, 'Fight Mom, fight.' Man, I fought the hardest fight for them."

In an emotional moment for her, she recalled, "I wasn't ready to go, and I wasn't going to go without a fight anyway." Dianne woke up from the coma nine days after she was supposed to pass away.

HOW SHE HANDLED HER RECOVERY

The worst was over after Dianne regained consciousness, but she still had a hectic recovery process ahead. First, Dianne had to learn to walk and talk again.

Dianne recalled waking up to see the trauma her body went through. She described her body as purple and filled with holes. Thankfully, she was able to return home to her family after one month.

The Gisborne resident recovered physically, but it took the help of psychologists and counselors for her to recover mentally. The sportswoman experienced flashbacks from her time in a coma and had difficulty sleeping.

Dianne managed to get over her mental scars, and after ten months of recovery, she returned to the gym. Altogether, the survivor regained complete control of her life and even cheered heartily during a fundraising event.

Sixteen months later, she learned that the triple bypass surgery was one of many options she could have undergone. In addition, it was stated that Dianne's health condition could have been corrected through medications.