Anti-police-brutality activist, Erica Garner, is still in a coma as noted by her verified Twitter account. On Monday, ESSENCE reported that the 27-year-old suffered “major” brain damage after a Dec. 24 heart attack.
The update on Wednesday revealed that lack of oxygen contributed to her brain damage.
“Cat scan shows Erica suffered major brain damage from a lack of oxygen while in cardiac arrest. Please continue to pray hard for Erica and pray for her family and kids just as much,” the tweet said.
Garner’s father, Eric Garner, died in 2014 after he was put into a chokehold by a New York City Police Department officer during an arrest on Staten Island. The incident sparked major protests and further amplified the issues of police brutality in the Black community.
As reported by WABC-TV, Garner’s mother, Esaw Snipes-Garner, says her daughter’s cardiac arrest was triggered by an asthma attack. Snipes-Garner says her daughter suffered her first heart attack not long after giving birth to a baby boy in August. Doctors said the pregnancy had put a strain on her heart, which was later found to be enlarged.