What if death isn’t an ending—but a sacred transition? In this deeply moving episode of Alive Again, we sit down with Dr. Sarah Kerr, a death doula, ritual healing practitioner, and founder of The Centre for Sacred Deathcare. With a PhD in Transformative Learning and decades immersed in cross-cultural and Indigenous traditions, Sarah helps individuals and families navigate dying and grieving as spiritual rites of passage.

She guides us through the concept of liminality—the space between worlds, where the old self dissolves and something new begins. Drawing parallels to the Hero’s Journey, Sarah reframes illness, trauma, and loss as initiatory paths, calling us to grow into the version of ourselves these afflictions ask us to become.

Her insights challenge the limits of the "Western box"—a worldview that often dismisses the unseen and the intuitive. Instead, Sarah invites us to listen deeply to our "spiritual DNA" and honor the inner guidance that emerges in life’s most tender transitions. As she puts it, "the purpose of death is the release of love."

This conversation resonates with many of our guests—from Eric Larsen to Anne Bayford—who recognize that their greatest trials became the soil for transformation. Dr. Kerr reminds us that healing is not about erasing pain, but integrating it, cooperating with the unavoidable, and finding grace in the mystery.

Produced by Dan Bush

For more about Dr. Kerr and her work, visit https://sacreddeathcare.com/

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at aliveagainproject@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On August 3rd, 2008, U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Nick Bradley’s life changed forever when a 20-pound IED detonated under his Land Cruiser during a mission in Afghanistan. Thrown from the vehicle and blinded by the blast, Nick awoke in a ditch, unable to move. “I was helpless,” he recalls. “I didn’t know what was going on—or if I was going to make it out of there.”

In this deeply human and unflinchingly honest episode of Alive Again, Nick walks us through the aftermath: a shattered body held together by 14 plates and 20 screws, the surreal detail of his nose being duct-taped back on in the field, and the long, painful road through coma, surgeries, and emotional reckoning.

But this is also a story of profound transformation.

Every year, Nick honors his fallen comrade on his "Alive Day", a testament to the transformative power of shared humanity and the enduring spirit of resilience in the face of the unthinkable.

This episode is a testament to the fragile threads that tether us to life, the brotherhood forged in battle, and the courage it takes to keep going.

His story reminds us that life is scary, and "that’s okay".

Story Producer: Dan Bush

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at aliveagainproject@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the journey to giving life nearly ends your own?

For years, Dorie Nolt faced the quiet heartbreak of unexplained infertility, finally celebrating a miraculous pregnancy after a long, arduous wait. But the joy of childbirth quickly transformed into a terrifying fight for survival when, after a routine C-section, Dorie's body began to unravel. Faced with escalating pain, a worsening fever, and doctors who dismissed her concerns and even blamed her, Dorie found herself navigating a medical system that seemed determined to ignore her.

In this powerful episode of Alive Again, Dorie shares the harrowing details of her near-fatal postpartum ordeal. Her story exposes a startling truth: that "women are ignored by medical professionals, but also women ignore themselves". Despite being on the brink of death and desperately fighting to return to her newborn son and husband, Dorie's experience became a profound lesson in self-advocacy and a stark reminder of the systemic failures in maternal healthcare. This is a raw and urgent narrative of resilience, highlighting the vital importance of listening to your own body and fighting for your life, even when no one else is.

Story Producer: Kate Sweeney

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at aliveagainproject@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.