When a tornado ripped through his Alabama neighborhood, Chris Alonzo found himself clutching his young son in a closet as the walls shook and the front door blew open. In that moment of terror, his desperate plea—“take me, don’t take my son”—became a prayer.

Raised in a devout Catholic family but long estranged from faith after his grandmother’s painful decline, Chris’s brush with death forced him to confront anger, doubt, and the mystery of survival. In this episode of Alive Again, Chris shares how near-death transformed his understanding of God, community, and unconditional love—and why sometimes, faith is born not from certainty, but from fear, fragility, and the will to protect those we love.

Story Producer: Nicholas Tecosky

* 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.

Thrill seeker, Nate Dorn, never saw himself living past the age of 25, until he set sail for Cuba on a 28-foot boat with no idea he was heading straight into the storm that would change his life. Trapped in gale-force winds with his fingers crushed in an anchor chain, Nate suddenly recognized the recurring dream that had haunted him since childhood—he was living it in real time. What he thought might be his last moment became a rebirth, one that freed him from fear and gave him what he calls “extra credit” on life.

In this episode, Nate shares how risk-taking has shaped his adventures, his creative path as a photographer, and his outlook on what it means to truly be alive.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At 18, Jessica Sanchez thought she was dealing with wisdom tooth pain. Instead, doctors found a tumor that would lead to 18 surgeries, chemotherapy, and a near-fatal bleedout. Years later, she faced another harrowing battle: an ectopic pregnancy and rupture that nearly killed her. Jessica’s journey was made even more perilous by political barriers to reproductive healthcare.

The repeated medical traumas—from cancer to miscarriage to near-drowning—stacked one on top of another until her nervous system froze, shutting her down in order to survive. Yet her breakthrough came when she realized her body was not her enemy but a messenger, urging her to pause, listen, and heal.

In this raw and unflinching conversation, Jessica shares how she learned to listen to her body, survive the freeze of PTSD, and find strength in compassion.

Story Producer: Nicholas Tecosky

Artist: Jeramy Muxworthy

* 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.