a dreamlike state, I experienced colors that were brighter than anything in this reality. All my emotions were amplified. I saw Steffan totally healed, happier and more at peace than I ever knew him in this life. I even held him in my arms. Miraculously, that experience healed my grief because I knew that my cousin was alive and well. My greatest wish is that everyone could have that same certainty. There are many experiences that dispel the myth that death is the final chapter of life. People who are nearing death often see deceased loved ones in the room with them during the last days and weeks of life. Bereaved individuals commonly experience after-death communication with deceased loved ones. Those who have had near-death experiences offer the most extraordinary validation of all. They may be able to describe what happened to their physical body during resuscitation efforts. They may also be able to report what happened to them on the other side when their spirit or soul left their human form. This book is a compilation of all three types of experiences. It is an extraordinary book of hope for anyone who has experienced the loss of a child. Also, it will offer reassurance to anyone who has lost a loved one or who wonders if there is life after death. As a hospice nurse and the author of four books, I am passionate about bringing comfort, hope, and healing to the dying and the bereaved. My first two illustrated children’s books were written to help guide children and the adults in their lives through loss and grief. Yet, from my early days as a hospice nurse in 1991, I sensed a strong need for an anthology. People facing death or the loss of a loved one needed a collection of true life-affirming stories, which didn’t exist at the time. For years I collected testimonials wherever I went for my third book, Miraculous Moments: True Stories Affirming That Life Goes On. I am grateful that this resource has been so well received by nurses, counselors, social workers, chaplains, hospice professionals, and the bereaved. Grief support groups are now utilizing it on a regular basis. Because the original manuscript had grown so large over the years, I 2  Introduction
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