20-Year-Old Fights for Her Life After Consuming Ghost Energy Drink.
A 20-year-old woman from Texas, Jazmin Garza, is currently fighting for her life after suffering cardiac arrest during a workout, following the consumption of a popular energy drink. In late November, Jazmin was at the gym with her boyfriend, Isaac Ayala, when she began feeling dizzy and light-headed after drinking one-third of a can of Ghost, an energy drink containing 200mg of caffeine.
While completing weighted deadlifts, Jazmin collapsed and began experiencing a seizure. Isaac rushed to her side, and soon after, her heart stopped beating, and she was no longer breathing. Isaac performed CPR until paramedics arrived and successfully restarted her heart. Jazmin's heart stopped several times during the emergency, with one of the episodes lasting for five minutes. This lack of oxygen caused severe damage to her kidneys, lungs, and heart, and she was placed on life support.
In an emotional statement, Jazmin shared her experience: “I don’t usually drink caffeinated drinks at all. I hadn’t been to the gym for a while and wanted a good workout, so I drank a third of an energy drink. Afterward, I felt light-headed, and Isaac said I looked really pale. I didn’t know what was happening when I started having a seizure.”
Despite undergoing multiple life-saving procedures and being placed on three different life-support machines, including ECMO, dialysis, and a machine for her oxygen levels, Jazmin’s doctors were unable to determine the exact cause of her cardiac arrest. “They couldn’t see any issues with my heart or why it happened,” she said.
Jazmin believes the energy drink may have played a contributing role, alongside a potential undiagnosed heart condition. “The best guess is that I’ve always had this heart issue but never paid attention to it,” she explained. “I don’t think the energy drink was the main cause. I think it was a contributory factor for everything to go wrong.”
Ghost, a popular energy drink, contains 200mg of caffeine, along with other ingredients like vitamins, carnitine, and neurofactor, which are advertised to improve physical and brain function. Energy drinks are known to pose health risks, particularly in individuals with underlying heart conditions, as they can disrupt heart rhythm, potentially leading to cardiac arrest.
During her recovery, Isaac expressed his gratitude for the outpouring of support: “She had an army of prayers for her, and we are so grateful for every single one. Thank God she has overcome all of it.”
Now recovering, Jazmin has a renewed perspective on life. “I feel like I’ve had a second chance at life now. If this had happened later on or if I was on my own, I might not have made it. Doctors said it was a miracle,” she said.
Jazmin and Isaac, however, are facing financial challenges, as both lost their jobs due to time spent caring for her. They have started a GoFundMe to help with medical bills and return to Texas to see their family.
Jazmin’s advice to others: “Listen to your body. Get any concerns checked out because you might avoid something this big later on down the line.”
