This experience is how my Mother found a why to communicate a message to me prior to her actual death and two events since her.  My Mother died 25 days after her massive heart attack and massive stroke to the left hemisphere of her brain (lost her communication and memory of language).  She had been working in her flower garden on Thursday morning, May 3rd.  One of our 1st hot days for Charlotte, NC.  She came into the house and told my father she didn't feel well.  She asked for water and Ibuprofen. (She had taken 1/2 aspirin for years each morning to prevent a possible heart attack.  My father takes a whole aspirin.  Mother had always been healthy her whole life.  She was age 76 when this event occurred.)  Shortly after taking the Ibuprofen she called to my father again and told he should call 911.   

When they arrived, they found her collapsed and had a pulse of only 'electric activity'.  They gave her a shot in the leg (which I think was to restore a normal heart beat). She was taken to downtown Charlotte, NC and was put on machine that breathed for her.  They kick started the heart to bring blood to her kidney's. The Doctors told us they didn't know the reason why this happened.  Two days later they said she had the cleanest arteries they had ever seen of women age 76.  In the emergency room., they told us she was very, very sick and hadn't told us yet she had a massive stroke...this was discovered later.  At 2:30pm they started cooling her down till she was very cold to the touch (ice packs on arms and legs).  They stated this technique showed better results to reduce brain damage.  IV in her neck to keep her heart going.  Fluids were found in her lungs, etc.  They told us they would keep her cool for 24 hours and then warm her back up and she should regain consciousness.   

On Friday, May 4th at 2:30pm they started warming her up and by 10:30pm /11:00pm the Nurse started asking her to wake up and answer questions, move her fingers, toes, etc.  Mother never opened her eyes on Friday night, however she started communicating to me (her daughter) when I mentioned her son-in-law; Gene.  Mother answer Yes or No with movements to her left foot only.  To move to the story/experience along...By Monday morning, May 7th we had to amputate her right leg below the knee.  Mother remained asleep almost 97% of the time.  On Tuesday morning, May 8th when I arrived at the Hospital her Doctors told me they felt she had suffered a stroke since she was not responding like she should to us.  While the Doctors spoke to me, Mom wiggled her left toes, so she was awake and I feel she was listening to us. (Confirmation that she had a massive stroke came back later that day at 3pm.)   

While I was waiting in her room for the results,  Mother awoke at about 1:45pm.  I stood up and became talking to Mother and she looked and listen to me.  For the 1st time I told her.... she had a Heart Attack and that "I was trying to stay strong and I hoped that I was making her proud and that I loved her". I never spoke like that again or ever before that!!!!  On Wednesday, we met with her doctors and they stated she would not improve and what we see today, asleep most of the time 97% would be her future.  Would never walk or even sit in a wheelchair.  On Wed. May 9th, we decided as a family to let mother go. (Background of Mother; she had wanted to be a nurse when she graduated from High School in 1954.  Mother was a very sharp and strong women.  Very health conscious and always teaching me and my brother about good health practices, etc.) 

What happened next is the experience that I can not explain.....on Friday, May 11th, I received an email from my best childhood friend; Polly who lived in St. Louis.  I had NOT talked to her for about a year!  However, I had sent out 3 e-mail's to family and friends of my Mother's condition.  My last short note was sent on Monday Evening, May 7th based on her leg surgery.  My friend told me in her note that she had been having dreams of my Mother, and that Mother was very, very insistent that Polly telling me that "she loved me, she was proud of me and to stay strong".  Mother and Polly were standing in my parents former home in St. Louis in the Kitchen where us girls chatted with my Mother so many years ago; 1970-1980's.  After my Mother died on May 27th, Polly called me on the phone, and again she told me what she had written me...that my Mother was very, very insistent.  These were the exact 3 things that I had said to Mother earlier that week!!!!  I had not spoken these thing ever before or after!!! 

When Polly had this dream, my mother was alive.  When my Mother was in hospice, I noticed one morning when I walked into her room that she appeared to be in ecstasy.  The Nurses pointed this out to me as well.  She was starring/focused on something at the ceiling/wall line.  I put my hand right in front of her eyes, almost touching her lashes and waved my hand, and she never blinked!!! She stated like this for awhile, maybe 10-15 minutes, then closed her eyes and fell asleep.  We are Catholic and Mother's favorite Saint was  St. Rita. 

Anyways, back to the experience.  My friend Polly, had 2 very odd experiences herself after her father died.  When her father was in the hospital with a Brain Tumor that reoccurred and hit suddenly, she told her unconscious father "to let her know he was ok".  A few days after his death, she awoke in the middle of the night in her bed and saw a bright light of colors spinning at the foot of the closet at the foot of her bed.  Colors, she had never seen before.  Her cat at the foot of the bed awoke too and watched this event. However Polly's husband did not, nor could she move or speak to wake him up.  In the color of lights, appeared her father and he was wearing the same shirt from his funeral, he told her "I am ok, everything is ok, I love you and I may come to you again (someday)."  Then he was gone. 

About 2 years later, Polly was expecting her 3rd child (she had a 2nd daughter after the death of her father).  This child was miscarried after about 2 months.  On October 3rd, Polly had a dream that she was having lunch with her Mother's deceased girlfriends, all of a sudden she started to hear a laughing, joyful baby.  The noise became louder and louder and louder, until Polly turned around and out of the mist was her Father walking towards her carrying a blonde hair baby boy who was laughing.  Polly's father said "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, I've missed my grandchildren so very much.  I love you, thank you."  He turned around and walked back into the mist.  Polly was very always much closer to her father then her mother.  She was a only child just like her father was.  It has been over 14-15 years since the 2nd and last experience with her father. 

Polly always had very detailed, life-like dreams when we were young.  My mother was aware that Polly's father had come to her in her bedroom, after he died.  I feel that my Mother was granted to respond to my remarks through my friend Polly.

Since my Mother's death, I have had one dream, that occurred about 6 weeks after her death, in which she answered a question for me regarding her event/attack.  And just a few weeks ago, she came to me for a flash of a second.  It was just before I drifted off to sleep.  I was not thinking of anything, I may have just drifted asleep for a second!  All of sudden I saw a cloud and her younger face appeared (about age 34) with a beautiful, beautiful peaceful, happy smile and she was gone as fast as she appeared.  Earlier that night, I had a realization to something that had bothered me off and on since her death.  Why my father couldn't be strong enough to be by her side at the hospital and hospice.  He made a few visits but was not able to be strong.  After watching the movie "The Bucket List" that very night, I realized that maybe Mother was able to die in peace, with just me there during the day and my brother there at night.  We prayed with her and talked of happy things when she was awoke for 10-15 mins at a time.  We were able to stay strong for her as she would have wanted.  I had always worried that she missed my father not being there, however during the movie I felt a strong feeling that she was able to die peacefully without my father being there in tears.  My father is not Catholic. Now, I can say, all my answers to my Mother's attack and events have been answered.  Shortly after my Mother's death, her sister who lives in Kansas discovered that Mother had her attack at the same exact age of that of her Grandmother who died in her bed probably of a heart attack as per Doctors notes in 1956....at age 76, 1 month and 2 days. 

Over my life span (53 years), I have had a few experiences where I hear/know of the future; 1.) When I was 6 years I heard while playing with my dolls "you will not have children".  In my mind, I spoke "yes I will, every girl has babies and get married!".  The voice in my mind, said "No, you will not have babies, however it will be your choice to marry or not".  I had 4 more odd experiences after that; at age 23, 40, 41, 46 then months and days before my Mother's death that her time was near. I feel that I have been blessed to have had these experiences and it has strengthen my Catholic faith.

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?         Yes            Massive Heart Attack and Massive Stroke to the left hemisphere of her brain; lost her communication and memory of language.

Was the experience difficult to express in words?   No      

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    Normal consciousness and alertness    Normal alertness

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.    My own vision's are most times in the shower under water!

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.    The same...

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?            calm  

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?           No      

Did you see an unearthly light? No      

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    I hear a voice, but it is not me thinking.

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings?         Yes    See in statement above; the whole story.

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

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world?          No      

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?     No      

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?            No      

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?       Scenes from the world's future  I for saw the Economy Crash.

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose?        Uncertain     

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:   Moderate 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    

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?    No     Seems to be that same

Have you ever shared this experience with others?            Yes     My Aunt, Father, Brother and Husband

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?            Uncertain     For 6 months prior to my Mother's heart attack, I kept 'feeling' her time was near.  I couldn't understand why I was feeling this as my Mother was so very healthy.  Weeks before her attack, I heard 3 times in the morning while getting ready in the bathroom; "God forbids Mother goes before Dad".  It happened again the morning of her attack. I was very close to my mother and not close to Dad.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:    Experience was definitely real   

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time: Experience was definitely real          

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?           Uncertain           

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience? No   

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience?  Uncertain   

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?    Yes   

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you?     That Mother heard me and was able/granted to answer me!