A young woman was left fighting for her life after suffering cardiac arrest while working out, shortly after consuming a popular energy drink.
Jazmin Garza, 20, took a few sips of the beverage—commonly used as a pre-workout—before beginning a weightlifting session with her boyfriend, Isaac Ayala, in November.
Moments later, the Texas native collapsed, experiencing convulsions and a nosebleed.
Her 21-year-old boyfriend rushed to her side and, realizing she wasn’t breathing, immediately performed CPR until paramedics arrived. Emergency responders continued resuscitation efforts, eventually reviving her heart using a defibrillator.
“As soon as the paramedics got there, they took over and gave her CPR for several minutes and were finally able to get her heart pumping again after using a defibrillator to jump-start her heart,” Ayala wrote on a GoFundMe page created to help cover medical expenses.
“The doctors told us she was going to need a miracle to come back to us (and be the same Jazmin we knew),” he added.
Garza suffered four cardiac arrests in total, with doctors placing her on life support after her stomach and kidneys also failed.
“Her lungs and heart were in really bad shape. She had to overcome three different life supports—an ECMO machine for blood circulation, dialysis for her kidneys, and a machine to control her oxygen levels—as well as multiple procedures,” Ayala explained.
Studies have linked excessive energy drink consumption to serious cardiovascular risks, including tachycardia, myocardial infarction, and even death.
