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 RoundTripDeath.com Donate to this podcast: https://www.roundtripdeath.com/support/
