Beauty pageant winner declared dead during coronavirus fight comes back to life

Barbara Guthrie Lay, Miss Virginia 1958, was pronounced dead on Christmas Eve two days after she was rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties caused by the virus

By Lorraine King 16:17, 5 JAN 2021

Barbara Guthrie Lay was wrongly pronounced dead (Image: MISSVA.ORG)
Get our daily coronavirus email newsletter with all the news you need to know direct to your inbox

A former beauty queen who "died" during a struggle with coronavirus has come to life after defying medics.

Barbara Guthrie Lay was pronounced dead on Christmas Eve two days after was rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties caused by the virus, ABC-TV affiliate WSET reports.

According to the Martinsville Bulletin of Virginia, the 82-year-old from Georgia in the US, who was Miss Virginia 1958, died in the ICU in Rosewell Hospital without her husband Tony by her side as he was not allowed in her room.

The hospital first called Barbara’s son, Dr Thom Kelley, with the heartbreaking news and he who passed it on to Tony, the Bulletin said

Heartbroken Tony started informing Barbara’s other relatives about the tragic news when the hospital called her son to say she had a pulse.

The 82-year-old was Miss Virginia 1958 (Image: MISSVA.ORG)

Thom told said: “As a physician, I will say without hesitation there is only one word for what has happened over the past week - a miracle."

While a delighted Tony added: “I went from being miserable and brokenhearted to overjoyed.”

Barbara has since been moved out of ICU and into a regular hospital room.

Barbara is unaware about her near-death experience (Image: local12)

She is claimed to not know about her near-death experience.

Howard Huff, a friend of Barbara, said he planned on getting a copy of the Bulletin’s story to show her.

Find out how Covid-19 is affecting where you live by adding your postcode.

Find out how many cases of coronavirus there have been where you live in the widget above - and get an even more detailed breakdown when you click through to our sister site InYourArea..

“Barbara has not seen a spotlight she didn’t like,” he added.

“She has this incredible will to live and always says she plans to live until she’s 101.”

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/beauty-pageant-winner-declared-dead-23266126