The gift of life is something to be treasured and valued daily. Every day people pass away and others are being born. Unfortunately, Muriel Padilha and his family quickly experienced both.

Frankielen da Silva Zampoli Padilha suffered from a stroke when she was about 2 months pregnant. As a result, she became brain dead with no chance of recovery.

It was discovered that the twin babies inside were not affected and still healthy and growing. The hospital and family made a decision to keep her alive.

“We did an ultrasound on the embryos, thinking they would be failing in the womb but, to our surprise, they were clinging to life,” her physician, Dr. Dalton Rivabem, said in an interview. “Frankielen’s organs were all intact and working as if she was still with us. We took the decision to keep her alive to save her unborn children, and every day we watched them grow normally.”

Hospital staff spent time talking and singing to the babies inside the woman’s belly.

Her husband Muriel Padilha had a difficult time with the loss of his loving wife but recently found peace.

“Frankielen has appeared to me on many occasions, especially when I was despairing and crying out for God to bring her back to me,” he shared. “One night, she sat on my bed and said, ‘Baby, I can’t come back to you anymore. I must stay. I am in a beautiful place now. You’ve got a big mission still to complete. You have to look after our children, and you have to be strong and move on and live your life.’”

The fraternal twins were delivered via surgery 123 days later. Their mother was taken off of life support afterward and given an honoring funeral.