Episode 80 - Surviving Trauma and Seeing Jesus: Sheila Preston Fitzgerald’s Miraculous Story of Faith, Healing, and Hope

Date: July 11, 2025 Podcast Show Notes: A Conversation with Sheila Preston Fitzgerald

 

Episode Highlights: In one of the most gripping and miraculous episodes of The Women Behind the Words, host Debbie Dufek welcomes author, speaker, and trauma survivor Sheila Preston Fitzgerald. Fourteen years ago, Sheila’s life changed forever after a horrific motorcycle accident that should have taken her life. Instead, it launched her into an unimaginable journey of miraculous survival, divine encounter, and unshakable faith.

Sheila recounts in vivid detail the near death experience that left her body broken but her spirit renewed. From being pinned between her motorcycle and a car to flying through the air and hearing the words, “Don’t be afraid. We got you. You’re going to be okay,” this story is nothing short of supernatural.

Listeners will hear how Jesus showed up, literally, to comfort her at the scene, and how the Holy Spirit wrapped her in what she describes as "butterfly blue," a color she says radiated the peace of heaven itself. Through over 11 surgeries, the eventual amputation of her leg, and an emotional road of recovery, Sheila emerged not as a victim, but as a radiant, joyful warrior with a powerful purpose.

This episode is overflowing with themes of:

• Faith in the fire

• Purpose through pain

• Radical gratitude

• Living anchored in the Lord

• Victory over trauma

• Healing through hope and prayer

Debbie and Sheila also talk about the release of Sheila’s brand new devotional, Foot Notes, and how God continues to use her story to transform lives. This is not just a story of survival. This is a call to trust, believe, and live fully even when life breaks your heart.

"I am not my limitations. This body is just an Earth suit. God didn’t just save my life. He gave me a new one."

Whether you're in the middle of your own shadow valley or searching for proof that God still performs miracles, this episode will leave you stirred, encouraged, and standing in awe of what happens when heaven touches earth.

 

About the Guest: Sheila Preston Fitzgerald is a speaker, author, and passionate woman of faith whose joy radiates from the inside out. After surviving a catastrophic motorcycle crash, Sheila now shares her miraculous story across the country, bringing hope, healing, and encouragement to audiences of all backgrounds.

She is the author of One Foot in the Door: Finding Hope in the Hopeless and the brand new devotional series Foot Notes, which invites readers into a deeper understanding of God’s presence in every step of the journey. Sheila speaks to churches, women’s ministries, nonprofits, and schools, pouring her heart into helping others find strength in God through even the most crushing moments of life.

She lives just south of Nashville, Tennessee, where she finds joy in time with family and friends, writing, serving her church, and cuddling her beloved dog Heidi.

 

Book Spotlight: Foot Notes by Sheila Preston Fitzgerald

Published this week, Foot Notes is the long-anticipated devotional that invites readers into Sheila’s sacred conversations with Jesus. Through powerful storytelling, heartfelt prayers, and daily encouragement, Sheila opens a path for readers to experience hope, peace, and purpose no matter what they’re facing. Each devotional offers:

• Personal reflections born out of deep trauma and divine encounters

• Encouraging truths to help reframe pain through the lens of faith

• Practical applications to walk forward with renewed strength

• A radiant reminder that even when your journey includes loss or suffering, it is not without meaning

This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to find light in the darkest valleys.

Also by Sheila: One Foot in the Door: Finding Hope in the Hopeless — Sheila’s powerful debut memoir that first introduced readers to her extraordinary story of survival after a devastating motorcycle accident. With raw honesty and vivid detail, she takes readers through the harrowing moments that nearly took her life, the long and painf