Tue Oct 14, 2003 7:03pm BST

BOGOTA (Reuters) – A Colombian man who had been declared dead woke up in the morgue in excruciating pain after medical examiners began their autopsy.

Ricardo Ordonez, 41, was declared dead after a diabetic coma and taken to the morgue, where examiners began an autopsy only to realize something was amiss when he started bleeding. They quickly sought to stitch up the incision on his face.”I woke up because the pain was unbearable” Ordonez said, according to a report on Friday in leading local newspaper El Tiempo. His grieving mother turned up at the morgue to identify her son’s body only to find him moved into a corridor  and alive.

According to the Silver Cord website, James Ordonez’ brother, Ricardo, was a diabetic. In 1984, he fell into a coma and was rushed to the hospital. Soon, this became a regular occurrence and James began to document his situation. Ricardo went to the hospital three times a year on average and in at least ten of these episodes he was clinically declared a flat line. Deceased. Doctors delivered the difficult news to the family on every occasion. However, after the declaration and ten-fifteen minutes elapsing, Ricardo would mysteriously and unbelievably “wake up”.

Doctors began traveling from Europe to Ricardo’s home country of Colombia to research the case and follow his story. At the same time, James monitored his brother’s situation by interviewing him, inquiring about his “death” or “out of body” experiences. Ricardo visualized a beautiful girl named “Claudia” and he would always find himself in pursuit of her. He would follow

her in a car, “fly” into her house… He told James that he preferred to be with her “out of body” than to suffer here in the real world. James began to incorporate Ricardo’s story into a script with his brother’s blessing and cooperation. The two made a pact that his amazing story needed to be shared with the world.

In 2003, after yet another coma, doctors told James and his family that Ricardo had expired and that this time it was final. After several hours had gone by, the family grimly accepted the news as truth and decided to proceed with the planned organ donation. In order to protect the organs from possible complications due to the gangrene which had set in, both his legs were amputated. Two days later, while being prepped for the organ donation, his brother suddenly awoke!

James, the family and medical staff were in extreme shock and again Ricardo’s situation was documented until finally, a year later, Ricardo passed on and was laid to rest. He left behind his close-knit family and a daughter to whom James promised her father’s story of life, death and “the other side” would be told. To this day, his daughter says that  Ricardo still visits her in her dreams. 

Thus the inspiration for The Silver Cord, written by James Ordonez and Ken Gord. 

Kilmer will play the role of Rafael Griggs.  Also starring Arielle Kebbel, Ving Rhames and Richard Edmonds. Currently in production.