Erica Garner, the oldest daughter of Eric Garner and an activist against police brutality, was in a medically induced coma Monday after a heart attack, the New York Daily News reported.
An asthma attack prompted the heart attack, Garner’s mother told the outlet. The 27-year-old mother of two remains on life support.
“Right now, the family is just praying and asking for everyone to keep her in their prayers,” Esaw Snipes, her mother, told The New York Times.
A message sent Christmas morning from Garner’s Twitter account said her family asks “that you take this holiday to enjoy your loved ones and for self care.”
Eric Garner died in 2014 after being placed in a chokehold by a New York City police officer. Video of his arrest showed him repeatedly screaming, “I can’t breathe!” The officer, Daniel Pantaleo, was not indicted, a decision that sparked nationwide protests.
Since her father’s death, Erica Garner has been an outspoken advocate, writing about her fight against police brutality, her decision to back Bernie Sanders in the 2016 election, and the effort to combat institutionalized racism.
“It is important for us to show the world we can stand together as one people,” she wrote in a 2015 blog post for HuffPost. “It’s even more important for our youth to see us standing together and fighting for what what is right. It shows them that they can push back against a corrupt system without being a so-called ‘thug.’ ... Justice means equity to us.”