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Yellowstone spinoff star 'died for 3 minutes' during worrying health battle

The Madison actress' heart stopped in 2019

Jenni McKnight
US Lifestyle Editor
December 20, 2024
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Danielle Vasinova has recalled the terrifying moment her heart stopped beating in 2019.

The actress, who has been cast in the Yellowstone spinoff The Madison, was legally dead for three minutes after she contracted COVID-19 but was misdiagnosed due to the unfamiliarity of the virus at the time.

Danielle admitted that at first, she thought she had the flu but after being prescribed antibiotics, she "could barely walk".

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Danielle has been cast in the Yellowstone spinoff The Madison

"On Dec. 12, 2019, I died for three minutes," the 42-year-old told People. "I thought I was coming down with the flu.

"I went to urgent care in downtown L.A., and they decided it was strep and sent me home with some antibiotics. But by the next day, I could barely walk. My legs wouldn't move. It was bizarre."

By 2 a.m. that night, Danielle felt like she "was going to die" so her uncle raced her to the emergency room and was shocked by what he witnessed when he returned to her hospital room.

"He said people were running around me, and a tiny girl jumped on top of my chest and began pumping, pumping, pumping. And then he saw my heartbeat on the monitor just go. Flatlined," she explained.

danielle vasinovo in hospital with covid 19© Instagram
Danielle 'died for three minutes'

Danielle said that when her heart stopped beating for three minutes, an ER nurse continued chest compressions until she was eventually revived. She was then transferred to the hospital's intensive care unit and put in an induced coma.

"I had complete organ failure," she revealed. "I went from young and healthy to this infection that completely took over my body all of a sudden. It just came on, and it just rocked my world."

While Danielle "didn't see the light" during her 'death', she has felt the presence of a higher power since her recovery.

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Danielle has since fully recovered from COVID-19

"I didn't see the light or a tunnel, but they say it can come back to you in flashbacks," she said.

"I did, however, start to see a lot of angel numbers everywhere. I would see sequences like 5555, 7777. It was bizarre, but something was telling me, 'There's something more for you. You weren't meant to go just yet. You're meant to do something else.'"

She added: "It's hard to even describe how I feel, but I'm so much more connected. This felt like the turning point in my life. The death, and the rebirth. I know to take nothing for granted. Life is so precious, and it is such a gift. We're here to do some good in the world, to be of service, and to be forever grateful."

danielle vasinova blue dress red carpet© Getty Images
Danielle now feels the presence of a higher power

Following her recovery, Danielle was able to meet the nurse who restarted her heart.

"I found out her name was Ruby, so I went back to the hospital with a bracelet with a tiny ruby in it just to say, 'Thank you for saving my life,'" she revealed.

"I didn't know if she was going to recognize me, but when she opened the door, I started crying, and she just lost it. She told me she never knows who lives or dies after they get transferred. She just gave me the biggest hug. Because I'd been gone for three full minutes. But I came back."

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