When we lived in Saudi Arabia, there was a chemical leak at the refinery in Dhahran. The chemical when inhaled caused immediate paralysis of all body functions. Rather than risk anyone else’s life, my father inhaled deeply, climbed the ladder to the valve to close the leak, and on his way down gasped. At that point, he had no vitals. He could not breathe. His heart had stopped. The Arabs working under his supervision, carried him to safety and resuscitated him.
At the time, my mother, sister and I were in the US visiting my maternal grandparents. My mother knew something was wrong at the exact time that the accident occurred. She called ARAMCO asking what is wrong with my husband, what had happened. She was always able to sense things like that, as if she’s psychic.
My father is convinced that what he experienced while dead, while his body functions had stopped, was heaven. He felt like he was floating on a cloud. My parents both strongly believe that he had gone to heaven and come back.
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