OPRAH WINFREY (VOICEOVER): Edrea Espinoza
was seven months pregnant when she
woke up in excruciating pain.
Her mother rushed her to the hospital.
EDREA ESPINOZA: It just felt like something wasn't right.
EDREA'S MOTHER: The nurse took the--
NURSE : That a girl.
EDREA'S MOTHER: --monitor and rubbed it on Edrea's abdomen
to hear the baby's heartbeat.
And there was nothing.
And that's when I knew that this was serious--
that the baby wasn't OK.
OPRAH WINFREY (VOICEOVER): The doctors prepared Edrea
for an emergency delivery.
EDREA ESPINOZA: When she came out
she wasn't moving or breathing.
And I saw them take her to the other side of the room,
and they started working on her.
There was no heart rate.
The baby wasn't crying.
There were no respirations that were audible at all.
OPRAH WINFREY (VOICEOVER): Doctors
spent the next 30 minutes struggling
to bring the stillborn baby back to life.
You never want to stop resuscitating a baby.
It's like one of your biggest nightmares.
EDREA ESPINOZA: When I saw the neurologist shake his head,
I knew that there was nothing that they could do.
OPRAH WINFREY (VOICEOVER): In the midst of her grief,
Edrea was asked if she would like her baby baptized.
EDREA ESPINOZA: That was the first time
I talked to God in a long time.
And I just asked Him to please take care of her.
I wasn't sure what I was going to name her yet.
And I decided on Aiyana, because it meant eternal bloom.
OPRAH WINFREY (VOICEOVER): After the baptism,
as Edrea said her final goodbyes,
something miraculous occurred.
EDREA ESPINOZA: All of a sudden she just went
(SHARPLY INHALES).
EDREA'S MOTHER: The staff rushed into the room.
They did not want us to get excited about her coming
to life because she had gone so long
without oxygen. She actually came back to life
65 minutes after she was born.
OPRAH WINFREY (VOICEOVER): Against all odds,
Aiyana's breathing grew stronger.
She was immediately transferred to the neonatal intensive care
unit under the supervision of Edrea's friend,
Dr. Tony Solomay and Roshanda Clemmons.
WOMAN: She was not moving much.
Not responding to anything.
She had an EEG done, which measures brainwave activity.
The results were horrible.
WOMAN: Statistically, I wouldn't think
that she would be able to eat on her own, to walk, to sit up.
Nothing prepares you to have to tell a friend
that their baby is not going to be totally normal,
or that their baby may not live.
EDREA'S MOTHER: It was explained to us that Aiyana
had severe brain damage.
Their recommendation was that she
be removed from life support.
OPRAH WINFREY (VOICEOVER): That day Aiyana's
life support was disconnected.
EDREA ESPINOZA: They told me anywhere between an hour
and a day she'll pass.
OPRAH WINFREY (VOICEOVER): But the baby was not
finished with her surprises.
WOMAN: I couldn't believe that she was breathing.
She had a few gasping breaths there for a minute
that were kind of scary.
But after that, she was breathing on her own.
EDREA ESPINOZA: The doctors would
say, OK, well, she's breathing on her own
but she's not responding to touch.
So a day later, you would touch her,
and she would grab your hand back.
And then, she developed a suck, which
meant that she could feed.
That was kind of the point where we all were really excited.
EDREA'S MOTHER: That's when Dr. Solomay said to Edrea
and I, this looks like this is Aiyana's show,
and we'll just wait to see what she does next.
OPRAH WINFREY (VOICEOVER): And 15 days later, Aiyana was well
enough to leave the hospital.
EDREA ESPINOZA: The doctors just said she's a miracle baby.
She's unbelievable.
And we don't understand why or how,
but we're not going to question it.
This has to be the works and the acts of God.
I really believe there's no other explanation for it.
Aiyana, the miracle baby, is now three years old.
Healthier, and more adorable-- [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
AUDIENCE: Awe.
--than ever.
I love it when the doctors say, you know, it's nuttin' but God.
Right.
I loveth that.