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I was pregnant with my third child (Sofia). It was a high-risk pregnancy because the child was positioned 'placenta accreta', and my doctors had not detected it. On April 2, the day my daughter Sofia was born, I went to the hospital for my scheduled C-section, and the doctors knew that something wasn't right with my body or the baby, but they didn't know what it was; they never detected the placenta accreta until they were in the operating room performing the C-section.That morning of April 2, I felt happy, but at the same time quiet tense. I was thinking a lot about my two children, 4 and 6 years old. I prayed to God for my health and the baby would soon be delivered.I entered the hospital around 4:00pm and the operating room at 8:00pm. Everything started well enough, they gave me the epidural, made the incision, took out the baby, I held it in my arms, and then they took it at a short distance from me. A few minutes later I heard the surgeons say that they couldn't close because of the placenta accreta. The surgeon told them to prepare for an emergency hysterectomy, but the anesthesiologist answered that they weren't ready because they didn't have the necessary blood due to the blood bank was 10 minutes away and was closed. They took away my baby and I started to feel really awful. They took her away immediately! All the doctors were yelling, the nurses were running around, and I started to lose a lot of blood. I could hear them! In that moment I was just thinking, 'This group of idiots are going to kill me.' I started to pray to God that He would not take me. I clearly remember that I pleaded to God our Lord:'Don't take me Lord, please don't take me. Please Holy God, don't do this, don't take me; I cannot go. Don't take me, don't take me, don't take me Lord. I can't leave my three children alone, please Lord dooooon't take me! Help me my God. Help me get out of this. Help these doctors save me. I can't die. My children are very young. What do I do God. What do I do so you won't take me!Now I know what to do. I will leave through the hole that Manuel made in me. The hole was the cesarean incision. I'll go to the baby and get to where the children are. I have to beat Manuel the gynecologist. I have to do this quickly. If I arrive with the baby where the other three children are, I will hug all three of them. God will not be able to take me, because he won't be able to take them too. It's me they are trying to take!' This is what I was thinking. I left my body and floated at one side of my body! I saw clearly the doctors, the nurses, the machines, the surgical instruments. I saw everything! I watched them for a few seconds and then flew through the hallways until I got to the newborn unit. I took Sofia into my arms and left flying from the hospital.I was flying along with Sofia to meet up with my other babies. I remember that white light guided me, but it wasn't a continuous light. It was as if a wide path was made of thousands of spotlights. About halfway on this path between the hospital and the house where my children were, a very intense yellow path of light crossed through the other path. I stopped there, before crossing those yellow lights and continuing on the beautiful white path. I reflected for a moment, and I realized that I wasn't going to get to my children and embrace them before Manuel closed up my incision. I decided not to cross the yellow lights. From above, I could see my children perfectly. I saw them asleep and peaceful. That gave me a lot of peace, and I understood it was time to return to my body because if I didn't, I ran the risk of getting 'stuck outside.' I don't know if someone said to me or if I said to myself 'Go back.' I had to hurry to get back into myself.I got back to the operating room and saw my body as if it were asleep. The doctors were working calmly and there was feeling of complete silence.While I was having this intense experience, the doctors were trying to save my life and complete the hysterectomy. They put five pints of blood into me and one more pint of platelets. Clinically, I died. They resuscitated me with machines and sent me to intense therapy in a comatose state.Everything I just related, I remembered 12 hours later when I came out of the coma. For months, I remembered the experience daily, cried a lot, and shared it with whoever wanted to listen. I never got tired of repeating the experience and crying, just like I am crying right now. I cry at the thought to know that God gave me the gift of life once again; at the thought of seeing my body asleep with me outside of it; at the thought of what would have come of my children. I never tire of thanking God for the experience.Since then every time someone I know dies I remember and thank God for his great kindness.
Background Information:
Gender: Female
Date NDE Occurred: 2 de Abril de 1993 NDE Elements:
At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related. Childbirth. While under general anesthesia. CPR given. Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) Complications during labor.
How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely distressing
The experience included: Out of body experience
Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I went flying about the hospital. I wasn't familiar with it but I described it completely days later. I told the doctors where the operating rooms were, where intensive therapy was, newborn room, hallways, bedrooms, etc. I described the whole hospital perfectly and I had never been in that place. Everything was like it was in slow motion, even though I felt very stressed. I clearly left my body and existed outside it
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 Everything happened fast. I had to make decisions very quickly, I couldn't make a mistake and I think that I was so alert that I made the right choice. I came back. I didn't cross that boundary of light to continue on that beautiful white path of light that I thought took me to my children. It was enough to just see them from above and decide whether to cross that line or return. I believe I made the right decision.
At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The whole time! I was always alert and very conscious of what I had to do. So conscious and alert that I didn't cross that yellow light and knew that I had to get back 'before getting stuck outside.'
Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast
Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning
Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid
Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. My vision got a lot more intense. I saw where every person was as if there were no walls. I was in that light in a place very high up, and I saw my children perfectly fine. I saw them as you can see a person right in front of you, perfectly well.
Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I remember every word that every one of the doctors said. Afterward I told them everything that I heard and saw. I told them where they were standing and what they were doing. I saw them!
Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out
Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain I went through walls. I left my body and I flew on a beautiful pathway of light for miles and miles, but the other path crossed it like a border and I decided to not continue on the light path. I went back by the same light, but I never entered a tunnel. There was a point where the white light crossed with the yellow light, as if forming an X, and I remember that the yellow was on top of the white. The yellow was also very beautiful. It was vivid, transparent, and shining but I could see my children, the hospital, and the entire city. It was very beautiful to be there, it was very peaceful. I felt stressed before I left my body. When I was outside everything was very peaceful.
Did you see any beings in your experience? No
Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes I met with my kids.
The experience included: Unearthly light
Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin
Did you see an unearthly light? Yes I walked or flew and then stopped on the white, clear light. I didn't keep going because the other beautiful yellow light stopped me and caused me to think about it.
Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
The experience included: Strong emotional tone
What emotions did you feel during the experience? A lot of pain, a lot of desperation for not being able to return and see my children. I never felt fear, and after that experience, I have never feared death.
Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness
Did you have a feeling of joy? No
Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt no longer in conflict with nature
The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose
Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others
Did scenes from your past come back to you? No
The experience included: Awareness of the future
Did scenes from the future come to you? No
Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will I saw my children asleep and peaceful, that's why I decided not to cross that boundary that was marked for me by yellow light. God, Spiritual and Religion:
What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Moderately important to me
What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic Le pedia mucho a Dios, que no me llevara
Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Now I believe in God more, in a Deity that is the same religion. God is one and everyone calls him something different; the truth is that he is one DEITY.
What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Greatly important to me
What is your religion now? Christian- Catholic
Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience Yo creia que cuando te morias veias a Dios con los brazos abiertos y vestido de blanco, pero lo mio fue diferente
Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I learned to live in more harmony and show even more love to others. I am more generous, more tolerant, and I try to give everything through love. I do everything now in the name of love.
Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify I remember it said to me or I said to myself 'Return.'
Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No
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.)? Yes Hable mucho con Dios, le suplique que no me llevara!,,probablemente el me dijo "REGRESATE"........Si no fue el, fui yo misma, o fue El atravez de mi.................es algo dificil de interpretar.........Pero Dios siempre estuvo presente.
During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No
During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes Yo volaba, mi cuerpo estaba en un quirofano y yo lejos, pero conectada a todo mi entorno.yo me veia desde aya y los veia a todos y escuchaba todo.Claro que hay una conexion.
Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God definitely exists
During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes Siempre hable con El.
Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:
During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No
Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant
During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Yes mi proposito son mis hijos
Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife probably existsÂ
Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes Si continua, tan es asi que yo tuve muerte clinica, sali de mi cuerpo y vole muy alto.Me fui por un momento adonde yo creo se van las almas.
Did you fear death prior to your experience? I greatly feared death
Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death
Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Greatly fearful in living my earthly life
Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life
Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are meaningful and significant
Did you gain information about how to live our lives? No
During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No
Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others
During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes Si como no! creo que ese amor tan grande a mis hijos, a Dios y a la vida misma, me trajeron de regreso........el amor me puso de regreso en este mundo terrenal
Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others
What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life I learned to not fear death. I already have seen part of what happens and it's even better than what we have here. I feel more peaceful in this earthly life than before. I find an answer or solution to everything. I am a lot better person than before. I'm not afraid of sickness, and while I fulfill my purpose, I calmly look forward to when it's my time to go. I am no longer afraid; I know where we are going.
Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes In every way for the better. After the NDE:
Was the experience difficult to express in words? No
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 more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience Ya pasaron mas de 19 años y recuerdo mi experiencia perfectamente. Recuerdo hasta el ultimo detalle. Todavia lloro de la emocion y de la impresion.NUNCA VOY A OLVIDAR ESTA EXPERIENCIA.
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 a great ability to help and relieve other people. But few know it. I don't like to divulge it because they'll soon think I'm crazy. Ha ha ha.
Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The Light. Returning. The desperation I felt (before falling unconscious) of not being able to see my children again.
Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes When I came out of the coma, I spoke with my doctors who were standing next to me, and I told them with much difficulty, with a voice like an old lady and crying. 'Luis, come here, I'm going to tell you everything I saw.' When I stopped speaking, he took my hand, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and said 'How nice that you are here; how nice that you decided to return. I do believe in those things.' He gave me a kiss on the cheek and said 'rest now and don't cry; you are here.'
Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Uncertain Very vague and uncertain commentaries.
What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I can only tell you that is very significant, something that has nothing to do with this 'reality' that we live in.
What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real More than 19 years have passed and I remember my experience perfectly. I remember every detail. I still cry and get emotional. I will never forget that experience. It's something that I and everyone else who has gone through this - we are always going to have this imprinted on our minds, hearts, souls, and spirits. This will never be erased.
At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I remember it every day. Every day I remember that I might not have been here. Every day I remember that God was merciful to me. Why? That is what I still don't know, because it doesn't matter that I am a mother. The world is full of mothers and orphaned children. God definitely left me here for something, but I still have not discovered what it is. I'm going to go just like everyone else. The only difference is that I already know where I'm going and that there the world looks better than here. Everything can be seen.
Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? Existence keeps going. I was clinically dead; I left my body and flew very high. I went for a while where I believe souls go. I believe that is the great love for my children, for God, and for life itself that brought me back. Love put me back in this earthly world.
Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? This question: Did you feel at some point that you needed to leave your physical body urgently to alleviate the situation? Answer: I did in fact feel that way, and I felt a great desperation because I was practically strapped to the operating table, but soon I realized that I wasn't trying to leave by walking out of there, but rather by detaching from the body and then going to pray for this earthly body.
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