®
"Because everything can change in an instant, it's never to late to get started"
I died on May 10, 1993.
Let me explain. On that day in May, my life was changed forever because a teenager ran a red light. I suffered a severe brain stem injury and medically died. Immediately, I was transported to heaven's doorstep. Knowing I was surrounded by loved ones, I felt like I was "home". I saw my grandmothers, who told me my body would heal. They said, "Go back and be happy." My mom and dad's stubborn refusal to allow the doctors to disconnect life support gave me the opportunity to return to life.
"You are an amazing woman, an inspiration and a miracle! God bless you!" Sharon (Smith) Anderson
A month later, I awoke and found myself paralyzed and helpless. I was in a locked brain injury wing of a rehabilitation hospital. Although medical experts said I would never walk again, or be able to take care of myself, I didn't listen. I believed the words of my grandmothers.
Through extensive therapy, I relearned how to stand, walk, and swallow. Though I faced daunting physical challenges and battled depression, I embraced my gift of recovery as a true miracle. It was a painful but remarkable recovery. Just five years later, I ran a 5k race and in 2007 completed a triathlon.
More than a physical road to recovery, I took a spiritual journey to a rich and satisfying faith. I hope my story of determination offers an inspirational and practical approach to dealing with sudden changes in life.
But in response to the questions I received, I decided it would be best to update my book, Go Back and Be Happy. The new version contains a forward and afterward responding to the questions I received about my father's death. It also brings readers up to date on the many changes in my life since the book was published twelve years ago. Click here to purchase the Kindle version of my book.
Now that the world is thankfully "opening up" again-I hope to see more of you in person very soon!
