A woman went into a coma after being spotted unresponsive in her home. Her husband went down and spoke something in her ear as the plug was removed from her life support. He had no idea she could hear all he said and was ready to fight back.

Lyndee Brown Pellettiere-Swapp, 45, was discovered unconscious at her Arizona home by her son, Steven. Lyndee was taken to Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center after he promptly dialed 911. According to the Mirror, Lyndee endured convulsions for five days before falling into a coma, where she stayed for 12 days.

Lyndee’s husband, Steve, daughter Amanda, and son Steven hoped for a miracle, but doctors stated there was nothing further they could do and advised Lyndee to be taken off life support. The difficult choice was made to cut the cord in order to respect what the family believed were Lyndee’s wishes. “My family knows I am an ardent organ donor, so when my organs began to fail, they made the choice—it was time to make that decision,” Lyndee said afterwards.

Lyndee’s family arrived to say their last goodbyes, unaware that Lyndee heard every word. “I recall people chatting to me,” Lyndee said. “I recall my niece reading to me when visitors came to visit.” She also recalls the physicians discussing her approaching death and informing the family of what to expect when she died.

“[Doctors] warned [my family] that when they switched off life support, I would start making sounds.” It was quite upsetting. I was unable to move. I couldn’t speak or answer. “All I could hear were discussions around and about me,” Lyndee said. “I recall a doctor opening my eyelids, teasing me, and telling my family I wasn’t responding.”

Lyndee felt she needed to speak out to save her life, but she tried and failed. “What I was saying was quite obvious in my brain, but it wasn’t to them,” she stated. The words her husband whispered in her ear when he thought she was about to die gave her all the motivation she needed to keep going.

“They withdrew all the tubes as he asked,” she claimed, adding that a doctor was on standby to “pronounce her dead” and an organ donation team was ready to receive her organs. But, her husband, Steve, wasn’t ready for his wife to leave him. In hushed tones, Steve pleaded with Lyndee, reminding her of a fact she was going to make everyone else aware of.

Lyndee awoke from a coma after 12 days, saying three words that startled her whole family. “I’m a warrior,” she managed to answer after Steve had told her the truth. According to the Daily Mail, Lyndee added, “I was finally able to get out, ‘I’m a fighter,’ which is what my husband was saying in my ear when I came up from my coma after being taken off life support.” “‘I need you to fight,’ he continued repeating.”

Steve, stunned, ran to seek the doctor. “My husband remarked to me, ‘She’s doing everything you said she wouldn’t do.'” Lyndee recounted. Against all chances and medical projections, Lyndee was awake and responsive, according to AZ Family. Amanda arrived at the hospital, not grasping what was going on, believing her mother had passed away.

“I looked at her, and she simply said, ‘Hi,’ and I just went to my knees,” Amanda cried, recalling how she broke down after getting the shock of her life. Lyndee was ultimately discharged from the hospital, but she wasn’t out of the woods yet. Despite her remarkable recovery, she had a variety of health issues and difficulties.

Lyndee had to relearn how to walk and feed herself. “They sent me home with home healthcare so I could keep learning everything,” she said. She also had a lot of follow-up surgeries and stays in the hospital, and the whole thing left her with PTSD.

Lyndee Brown Pellettiere-Swapp still had “no answers” over two years later about why she initially went unconscious or how she recovered so quickly. But there was one thing she was convinced of and wanted others to know as well. “Just because you’re unconscious doesn’t mean you can’t hear,” she said. “If you are in such a scenario, you should speak to your loved ones.” They can hear you.

Her family’s experience also left them with an important message for others. “Everything is subject to removal.” “You might wake up one day and everything is perfect, and the next day your life is in shambles,” Lyndee’s son Steven said. “Keep your family near to you and don’t let them leave,” he said. “I don’t take coming home and kissing my mom for granted,” Steven concluded. “Every day when I go home from work, I see her and chat to her.” Go embrace your loved ones and encourage others to do the same, since you never know when it may be your final opportunity.