A 20-year-old gym-goer, Jazmin Garza, found herself fighting for her life after drinking an energy drink before her workout. Moments after consuming just a third of a can of Ghost, a popular caffeinated beverage, she collapsed, suffered a seizure, and went into cardiac arrest multiple times.

Jazmin was in the middle of a weighted deadlift session with her boyfriend, Isaac Ayala, when she began feeling lightheaded and dizzy. She sat down to steady herself but soon collapsed.

“Then Isaac told me afterwards that I started having a seizure. I’d never had one before. I had no idea what was happening to me,” Jazmin recalled.

Isaac immediately jumped into action, performing CPR until paramedics arrived. Her heart had stopped, and emergency responders had to shock her multiple times to restart it.

Doctors later revealed that her heart had stopped for five minutes, cutting off oxygen to her brain and organs. She was placed on life support, suffering severe damage to her kidneys, lungs, and heart.

“They told my family I was going to need a miracle to come back to them—and be the same Jazmin they knew,” she shared.

Jazmin had no known preexisting heart conditions, and doctors were unable to determine a definitive cause for her multiple cardiac arrests.

“They couldn’t see any issues with my heart or why it happened or what might have caused it. I had no prior issues or family history of heart issues,” she explained.

She now believes the energy drink may have contributed to the episode, especially since she rarely consumes caffeine.

“I don’t think the energy drink was the main cause. I think it was a contributory factor for everything to go wrong,” she admitted.

Following her ordeal, doctors implanted a defibrillator in her chest to monitor and regulate her heartbeat, reducing the risk of future incidents.

Energy drinks, like Ghost, contain 200mg of caffeine—double the amount in two cups of coffee. While marketed as a performance enhancer, these beverages can pose serious health risks, particularly for individuals with undiagnosed heart conditions.

In people with underlying issues, energy drinks can disrupt the heart’s rhythm, potentially leading to cardiac arrest. Excessive consumption has also been linked to anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances.

After two weeks in the hospital, Jazmin made a full recovery and was released.

“I feel like I’ve had a second chance at life now. I want to do even better,” she said.

She urges others to take health concerns seriously.

“I would tell people to just listen to your body. Get any concerns checked out because you might avoid something this big later on down the line.”

Although her future looks brighter, Jazmin and Isaac are now facing overwhelming medical bills. The couple has set up a GoFundMe to help cover expenses and return home to Texas.

Now, she’s staying away from energy drinks for good, grateful to have survived what doctors have called a true miracle.

If you’d like to support Jazmin and Isaac, consider donating to their GoFundMe here.