It’s a story that sounds like something out of a nightmare. But it really happened in Michigan. A mother is finally breaking her silence five years after her daughter, just 20 years old, was mistakenly declared dead, leaving the family in shock and grief.

Timesha Beauchamp, who lived with cerebral palsy, was declared dead in August 2020 while at her Southfield, Michigan, home. The declaration came over the phone from an emergency room doctor, based on information provided by EMS workers and responding authorities. Yet when Beauchamp arrived at a funeral home, she was still alive. Not only was she breathing, but her eyes were open. But this happened as staff prepared to embalm her body.

People Magazine reports that her mother, Erica Lattimore, recalls the trauma of being told her child had passed. But then the horror, and happiness to learn moments later that she was, in fact, alive. “That’s devastating to a family already to hear she’s deceased, prepare your mind mentally that you have to prepare a funeral initially and then to hear someone say, ‘No, your child is alive,’” Lattimore shared during a recent press conference.

Legal Battle and Delays Drag On For Struggling Michigan Family

Lattimore is now pursuing legal action against the Southfield Fire Department’s EMS workers. Attorneys representing the family claim that Beauchamp’s breathing was severely restricted while being transported to the funeral home, a situation that contributed to her death two months later.

The fight for accountability has been fraught with delays. According to the family’s attorneys, government procedures and Michigan’s immunity laws have allowed repeated postponements of the trial. “The defendants have pulled every procedural lever to avoid being held responsible for their egregious actions. The family deserves their day in court,” the attorneys said.

Despite the ongoing legal hurdles, Erica Lattimore remains steadfast. “I’m not giving up,” she said. “I will go through the long haul, however long it takes. She lived 20 years. If it takes 20 more years for this to get heard in court and God gives me the breath, I’m there.”

This shocking case underscores how easily errors in the medical system can devastate families. While the legal system slowly moves forward, Michigan residents and all families are reminded of the fragility of life. And the importance of vigilance when medical protocols fail.