SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – A 20-year-old Southfield woman declared dead, then later found alive at a funeral home, has died from brain damage eight weeks after being found.
The woman’s mother called 911 on Aug. 23 when her daughter Timesha Beauchamp, who has cerebral palsy, had trouble breathing. After several attempts to revive her, Southfield paramedics declared her dead. She was later found alive.
“Our whole family is devastated. This is the second time our beloved Timesha has been pronounced dead -- but this time she isn’t coming back," the family said in a statement.
READ: Family of woman declared dead, later found alive sues city of Southfield
Geoffrey Fieger, a lawyer for the family, announced the death of Timesha Beauchamp.
“(She) was allowed to die peacefully at Children’s Hospital, where she had been transferred from Sinai Grace Hospital,” Fieger said. “She died as a result of massive brain damage that was suffered when Southfield paramedics wrongly declared her dead, and failed to provide her much needed oxygen. Instead, she was sent to a funeral home which then discovered that her eyes were open, and that she was alive.”
Two firefighters and two emergency crew members were placed on paid administrative leave.
READ: How Southfield mother found out her daughter, declared dead hours before, was still alive
A $50 million lawsuit was filed against Southfield EMS Paramedics for declaring Beauchamp dead. Fieger said she was only discovered to still be alive when a funeral home worker started preparing her for embalming.
The lawsuit was filed in the Federal Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and assigned to Judge Arthur J. Tarnow for trial by jury.
Watch -- Report from Sept. 24, 2020: Police records: Paramedics performed CPR for 30 minutes on Southfield woman declared dead, later found alive