A father in Central Arkansas awakens after being declared dead

Little Rock, Arkansas – A family in central Arkansas has many reasons to be grateful this holiday season when their father awoke after being declared dead.

Diana Decker, who wears a chain around her neck, grips a ring a little tighter than usual since she is aware that a few days ago, she may have lost it forever.

“He’s everything I have. My best friend. My husband,” Decker said.

Following chest issues, Dirk, Diana’s husband, was seen last week at Baptist Health Medical Center.

“He was having trouble breathing,” Decker said.

A month ago, the 53-year-old experienced a heart attack, and his family wanted to make sure he was doing okay.

He was stable and under the care of doctors.

His wife left him with her daughter as she ran home to get a few things. Then, things started to go wrong.

“I just remember looking up at that screen and just seeing him code,” Miya, Dirk and Diana’s daughter, said.

Dirk Decker was pronounced dead. “I was more worried about my children,” Diana Decker said “What do I tell them? How are we going to do without him?”

“They were all just saying, ‘it’s ok, it’s ok’ and of course I just broke down crying,” Miya Decker said.

According to the family, there were 20 minutes of utter anguish before physicians discovered a pulse.

“I was like, ‘So my husband’s alive?’,” Diana Decker said.

“We just looked at each other and we started crying like, he’s back,” Miya Decker said.

The three once more touched palms while holding hands.

“When he first squeezed my hand for the first time, it was very emotional,” Diana Decker said.

“I thought I never got to say goodbye, but I got to talk to him again and say how I felt,” Miya Decker said.

There is still no explanation for how this all happened up to this point. It’s all Dirk, the family said.

“He is one strong guy, let me tell you,” Miya Decker said. “I’ve known that from the start, he’s one strong guy.”

“My husband came back to me, it’s an unbelievable miracle,” Diana Decker said.

Now that he is awake, Dirk Decker is speaking.

He still has a long way to go in his recovery, but the family is grateful they can spend more time with their father and husband.