Author and screenwriter Sai Marie Johnson flatlined during a high-risk C-section complicated by placenta percreta.
While doctors fought to stop catastrophic hemorrhaging, Sai experienced a profound “void, tunnel and light." During her NDE (Near Death Experience) she met and saw her deceased grandmother and great-grandmother. They told her that she had to go back.
Above all else, she felt "Every good emotion we can feel on earth, times 5,000!" Goodness and Pure Love.
Following her NDE, she woke to a premature son in the NICU, a partial hysterectomy, and 25 transfusions—but also a new clarity that reshaped her confidence, career, and view of death.
In this conversation, she unpacks the medical rollercoaster, the otherworldly peace she felt, how she parents two sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and the hard-won faith that guides her now.
VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/nGlyLx3LDVw
Chapters (Timestamps)
- 00:00 — Cold Open: “They pronounced me dead…”
- 00:40 — Welcome & Guest Intro: Meet author/screenwriter Cy Marie Johnson
- 01:19 — About Cy: Mother of four; two sons with Duchenne
- 03:23 — High-Risk Pregnancy: Early warnings and specialist care
- 04:40 — From Previa to Percreta: What went medically wrong
- 06:08 — Hospital Prep: Steroids, IVs, arterial balloons, central line
- 10:41 — Countdown to Two: Going under anesthesia
- 11:01 — The Experience: Darkness, distant ember, irresistible light
- 12:04 — The Guardians: Grandmother & great-grandmother say “not yet”
- 13:52 — Void or Tunnel? How it felt, and what drew her forward
- 15:11 — Who They Were: Portraits of Elizabeth and Bernice
- 19:31 — Back in the Body: “Where’s my baby?” — NICU update
- 22:15 — Recovery Begins: Hysterectomy, pain, and walking laps
- 24:51 — What Happened on the Table: Hemorrhage and 25 transfusions
- 26:13 — Life After NDE: Confidence, creativity, a second chance
- 28:49 — Writing Career: From romance to nonfiction craft
- 29:57 — Duchenne Awareness: Strength for her sons
- 30:44 — On Death: Why she isn’t afraid
- 32:14 — Closing & Call to Action
Donate to this podcast: https://www.roundtripdeath.com/support/
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