I was in a minor car accident in the early afternoon on Highway 50 in Orlando, Florida. I was rear ended by someone on her way to the airport, she made no effort to stop it was her fourth such accident in a year. I was pretty badly shaken, but decided to drive myself home. Once I got home and my husband and his grandmother saw the damage to the car and that I was complaining of some back pain, we all decided it might be best if I got checked out at the local emergency room. So they drove me to the nearest hospital in Florida.  

There appeared to be no other patients in the Emergency Room at that time. I was taken back to a room/stall? and was lying on a gurney. Nurses and doctors came and talked to me and were planning to do some type of scans or x-rays of my back. As I was waiting for this to happen, an emergency call came in over the police radio at the nurses station, my room was positioned just across from that area. By lifting my head I could see it. I could clearly hear the information being transmitted. It said something about a young black male, multiple GSW, ETA 10 minutes. I searched my brain, GSW? Gun shot wound. 

A nurse came to me at that moment and said that a victim (that is the word she used) was being brought in and that they would have to leave me alone for awhile. She said she did not know when they would get back to me and that she was sorry, I said of course and everyone started hurrying around preparing the room/area directly across from mine for the incoming patient.  

Within minutes the ambulance arrived and the EMT were shouting information to the doctors and nurses, I could hear them calling out we have a GSW to the upper left shoulder, exit to the mid back. We have a GSW to the chest, no exit wound and so on. They were calling out blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, I do not have a medical background but I was locked in on the drama taking place just feet away from me. The noise of the young man's breathing was terrifying, one of the bullets must have pierced a lung, there was this awful rattling and hissing noise and all the machines working to keep him alive. I could hear the heart monitor and knew that his heart was beating very fast until I heard that sound of the monitor making one long continuous beep.... 

One of the doctor's yelled out he's flat lining and then they got out those paddles and yelled clear. They shocked him, once, twice, three times. Still the flat line. Then the doctor jumped up on top of the boy and started beating on his chest and I think he was shooting something into his chest with a large needle, he tried hand compressions, he was screaming frantic orders to the rest of the staff to try this, that. They worked on the boy for another 15 minutes or so and then I saw the doctor's shoulders slump, he said I'm calling it and called out the time of death. Then everyone just suddenly left and it was just me lying on my bed and the dead boy lying on his.  

I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. I lay back on the pillow and tears fell. What had just happened? It was then that a nurse realized that the door to my room had been open the entire time and came to close it. Once the door was closed I just lay there crying quietly disbelief. I was shaking my head silently to myself when I heard actually sensed in my head would be a better way of putting it a voice saying to me Why are you crying you don't know me? 

I answered, but not out loud it was like a telepathic conversation, because you died and it made me sad.  

The response came back, you wouldn't cry for me if you knew where I was.  

I looked around and then I saw it. There was a ball of light floating just above the door. It was brighter than any light I had ever seen, it was not too large, it seemed more like a ball of energy that gave off light, maybe. The light was intensely bright but did not hurt my eyes it was shimmering in a way I have never seen, vaporous? 

Then the voice said, here I am going to let you see where I am and then you won't be sad for me.  

As soon as I heard/felt those words, the ball of light formed into a doorway shape with beams shooting out of the side of it and it opened ever so slightly. As it opened and I looked at it, I was flooded with, with EVERYTHING! The answer to every question I ever had was right there, I felt no doubt anymore only certainty, there was no pain, or fear or sadness, an enormous sense of relief and peace and love came over me it was the best feeling I have ever had and was so full and then WHAM the door shut and turned back into a ball and the voice said, Now do you understand why you shouldn't be sad for me? In just a moment I had known, I had glimpsed what I knew had to be heaven. I wanted more.  

The voice continued. Don't be sad for me. It was my time to go. Please tell my mother that my brother didn't mean to do it and that I love her. And then the ball whooshed up to corner and got smaller to a pinprick and disappeared.  

I was shaken and shocked. I was literally shaking. My husband's grandmother came to the room and I tried to tell her what happened but I was crying too hard. She said I know, I know. But I think they were talking about the accident, they did not know about the boy dying.  

Afterward, I tried to find out about the boy. I was able to piece together from news reports and obituaries that he was 17 years old, his name was Tyrone. His brother did go to prison for killing him. For years afterward on the anniversary of the day it happened I would think out of the blue about the incident and it would just come back to me all the details and then I would realize oh today is that day and I would dig up the facts all over again. I have tried to find the family but have not been able to. Earlier this year I found someone I thought was one of the brothers he had just been released from jail in Florida the week before I looked. He would have been 9 when the shooting took place. I still have the need to find these people to tell them what their brother said to me.  

This experience has changed my life. I used to be very fearful and shy. I am not now. I am not afraid of much. I would like to work with terminally ill or with those who are losing children to terminal illness to give them hope. There is so much hope. Heaven exists and it is such a profound peace. It exists for us all.

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?   Uncertain  My life was not threatened. The individual whose shared the glimpse of heaven with me did die. But he was a stranger to me. We just happened to be in the same hospital ER at the same time. He died of gunshot wounds.

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  Yes     Because the things shared by the glimpse were not of this earth, there is nothing in our dictionary that describes these feelings, sensations, KNOWLEDGE that is available, it is easier to describe the absence of than the presence of it.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    I was conscious and alert throughout my experience. Probably most alert and conscious at the moment the ball of light became the door and the glimpse of heaven was revealed.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness?      More consciousness and alertness than normal   Just because it was only me and the boy's spirit (light) in the room and I was focused on it and communicating with it.

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   Much clearer and more fine tuned. It was almost like tunnel vision, like nothing else was in my line of sight but what mattered.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   Because communication was telepathic it was almost as if I was not cognizant of the need for hearing. I don't recall hearing anything, only sensing words going back and forth.

Did you see or hear any earthly events that were occurring during a time that your consciousness / awareness was apart from your physical / earthly body?   No  

What emotions did you feel during the experience?   Awe, joy, relief, disbelief, at first quizzical but then as if all questions were fully answered, highly emotional event  

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?   No  

Did you see an unearthly light?   Yes   The light was a ball and it was the spirit of the boy, he was able to become bigger or smaller, turned into a doorway, the light appeared vaporous it had movement, it seemed to be an opening to another world not just a light shining from somewhere

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice?   I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin
The voice communicated with me inside my head telepathically, but the speech patterns and cadence were somewhat elevated from normal human as if the grammar were better or like Old English or something

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)?   No  

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings?   Yes   The boy was of no relation to me and he was recently deceased.

Did you become aware of past events in your life during your experience?   No  

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world?   A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
I only was given a glimpse of heaven and it was more of a feeling than a place. More that all knowledge and peace was there just behind the door to be had.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?   Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning
It seemed that time was not a concept in that place

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?   Everything about the universe
I was flooded with knowledge, the answer to every question I ever had was instantly on the tip of my tongue it was like the ultimate a-ha moment, very fulfilling

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?   No

Did you come to a border or point of no return?   No

Did scenes from the future come to you?  No 

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness suggesting that there either is (or is not) continued existence after earthly life (life after death)?   Yes   The voice said, Let me show you where I am now and you will not be sad for me, implying that there is no need to be sad when someone dies because existence continues.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that God or a supreme being either does (or does not) exist?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that you either did (or did not) exist prior to this lifetime?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that a mystical universal connection or unity/oneness either does (or does not) exist?   Yes   When the glimpse was given and the knowledge shared I could sense that God/or goodness actually known as the God concept lies within all things, I had images of plants blooming, spiders crawling, babies crying, trees swaying, it was as if ALL are connected spiritually. All of nature is one and nature shares all one spirit.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly lifes meaning or purpose?   Yes   This young man's life was taken but he only said it was his time to go as if this life were merely transitory and the hardships of it just a matter of course.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly lifes difficulties, challenges, or hardships?   Yes   This young man's life was taken but he only said it was his time to go as if this life were merely transitory and the hardships of it just a matter of course.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding love?   Yes   Again, in the glimpse, I was filled completely with love so much I was overcome to tears, every pore of my body was love and steeped in love, it was rich with self acceptance and acceptance from every corner, there was no judgment from any direction. I simply was loved.

During your experience, did you encounter any other specific information / awareness that you have not shared in other questions that is relevant to living our earthly lives?   Yes   Life just is. It is not to be feared. Forgiveness, moving on are important. When a loved one passes you should not be sad for them because they are in a better place, they genuinely are. They are able to see you and look out for you and feel for you still. They will continue to try to get messages to you, whether they make it to you depends a lot on the person they are using as messenger.

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose?   Yes   The boy shared knowledge with me that only someone having an NDE or who had died would have access to. I felt heaven, saw it.

What occurred during your experience included:   Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience   As the daughter of a united Methodist minister, I had been taught about sin and forgiveness, but what I experienced was an absence of judgment. There simply was no question of sin only a complete feeling of worthiness, no judgment. Yet we are preached to about judgment day, this is part of the bible. The heaven I glimpsed offers nothing but answers not questions. Nothing but love, not judgment.

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience?   I remember the experience as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience   The day of my experience, I also was in a car accident, I remember the location, the car I was driving, the girl who hit me, the story of why she hit me. I remember the outfit I was wearing when hit. Several days after the incident, we moved from Florida to Tennessee I remember the move and driving. I have a very strong memory in general. My earliest memories are from when I was less than 18 months old.

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:   The experience changed everything about me. I changed careers, divorced, remarried, traveled the world, changed religions several times, went through mental health crises. I am now in a state of wanting to really learn more about why I had the experience and the purpose of it and to share it with others. I feel like maybe there was a reason why I had it and I am supposed to share it.

My experience directly resulted in:   Large changes in my life

Did you have any changes in your values or beliefs after the experience that occurred as a result of the experience?   Yes   I'm open to other faiths and beliefs, more liberal, more compassionate, want to give more to others

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you?   Yes, the part where the boy asked me to tell his mother he loved her. I have tried very hard to find her and been unable to. This was his last wish and I have not fulfilled it, it is very frustrating for me.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?   Yes   I have premonitions, I have premonitory dreams (I dreamed my sister was pregnant with a boy, she called and said she was pregnant and she had a boy). I have visions, the dead visit me, I know when someone is going to die. I get feelings about places or people or situations and just know what is going to happen.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you?     Yes, the part where the boy asked me to tell his mother he loved her. I have tried very hard to find her and been unable to. This was his last wish and I have not fulfilled it, it is very frustrating for me.

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  I told friends and family. Family told me to keep it quiet. They do not like it. Friends have been very supportive. Many have told me to write a book, some have even tried to help me locate the boy's mother. I first shared it within hours of it happening. Mostly people are influenced to not be as afraid of death and dying.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?   No   Back in 1991 when this happened to me, NDE experiences were not being talked about on every TV channel as they are now and there was no internet. I only recently even heard the term NDE. That is how I found this website. I've only begun to try to research it myself.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:   Experience was probably real   Well, I had been in a car accident and it was a stressful situation and seeing that boy die was also stressful, so though I knew it had happened I was scared that maybe I had had some sort of mental thing and was a bit afraid. But when I started checking the facts on some of things the boy said about his brother not meaning to do it, and I found out that his brother had in fact shot him. How could I have known that if the experience wasn't real? I started to trust in it more.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real   As I said, I checked my own facts and verified the accuracy of them and since then I have done research into NDE and found that much of what I experienced is similar to what others did - the feeling of having so much knowledge available, the unearthly light, the internal voice, other things like that that have validated what I experienced.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Yes   Some people look at me differently but I also am more open to new relationships. I have an insight into others that I didn't before I can feel their spirit, sense if they come with good or bad intentions.

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Yes   I am more spiritual, less religious. we all need more spirituality, less religion. Our path is individual. How we get to enlightenment is our own path, one man may require a certain religious doctrine, for another music may be the path.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience?   Yes   A friend of mine died in Istanbul in 2005, he visited me in spirit after his death. But he was troubled, it was not his time to go, he showed a darker side, not the heaven I had seen. He asked me to go with him, but I did not. I recoiled and he disappeared.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience?   Each year for many years on the anniversary of the day it happened, I sometimes would start thinking about it out of the blue and relive it and then later would realize what day it was. And before it ever happened I used to place some significance on that date, I had numerous dreams about it and told my friends that that date meant something to me, I was always looking for reasons of what it meant. The incident occurred on that date, and my friend in Istanbul died on that same date.

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?   Yes   One thing I want to point out is that my experience was not me experiencing near death, but me experiencing all of this because someone that was near me died. I was not in a coma, medicated, anaesthetized, unconscious, brain-dead, I was fully conscious and other than a lower back pain, uninjured. Please offer any suggestions that you may have to improve this questionnaire.  Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience?  

What could a national organization with an interest in near death experience (NDE) do that would be of interest to you?        Put me in touch with others who have had experiences like mine - others who have experienced these things but who were not dying themselves. I have felt so alone in this experience. Also, I would really love to be able to contact that boy's family. I have information on the boy, his name, his obituary, other details.

Please offer any suggestions that you may have to improve this questionnaire.  Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience?                    Can't really think of any, this is difficult information to capture in words.