Trigger warning: Discussion and images of gun violence.

At 33, championship-level ultimate player and teacher Eileen Murray started coughing up blood—then spent a year being dismissed by doctors before hearing the word no one wants: lymphoma. Six months of chemo followed, buoyed by a community she’d spent years building on the field and in the classroom. Two decades later, driving to a friend’s wedding with her husband and kids, a sniper’s round blew out the back glass—missing her temple by a hair. No one died. It barely made the news. But the PTSD was louder than cancer.

In this blunt, compassionate conversation, Eileen unpacks the visions that foreshadowed her diagnosis, the rage and surrender of treatment, and why the shooting reshaped her parenting. She refuses to center the gunman—saving her anger for systems that fail and doubling down on connection: teaching her sons media literacy, checking their sense of belonging, writing them letters for the day she’s gone. It’s a story about cultivating community before you need it, and choosing grace over grievance.

Listener discretion advised: frank discussion of cancer, medical trauma, gun violence, and PTSD.

 

Eileen’s links:

Eileen’s ultimate frisbee team - https://www.nygridlockultimate.com/ 

Eileen also made a blog post about the shooting which you can check out here: https://www.nygridlockultimate.com/blog/wear-orange

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a dangerous Australian beach, actor Frankie Mulinix was swept down the coast by a powerful undertow, slammed against rocks, and pulled under again and again. Time telescoped; panic rose; then came a stark clarity—“I’m done… I made peace with it.” At the very moment of surrender, a stranger hauled Frankie to safety and lifeguards took over. What followed was the quiet chaos of shame, flashbacks during rehearsals for Dante’s Inferno, and a hard re-examination of identity, purpose, and community. Frankie reflects on accepting death, being “robbed” of that ending, and choosing a second act—anchored by the realization that “we need each other… nobody makes it on their own.” 

Today, Frankie is a performer, emcee, producer, dramaturge, choreographer, director, mental health worker, voice and performance educator, swimming and triathlon coach, and intimacy choreographer and coordinator. 

Their theatre company Burning Bones Physical Theatre, is dedicated to collaborating with fellow creatives to engage with the local community and expand the possibilities of live performance in daring and imaginative ways.

In addition, they are an internationally ranked competitive endurance athlete and integrate their expertise in optimum performance techniques as a teacher, performer, and athlete.

Links:

IG: @Vandellous  

@burningbonesphysicaltheatre

@VibranceCentre

 

website: https://frankiemulinix.com/

 

Story Producer: Kate Sweeney

 

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Maggie Slepian flipped her kayak on Montana’s Gallatin River, she found herself trapped underwater, fighting to escape a spray skirt she had never practiced removing. In those harrowing moments, she felt time slow down, her thoughts split between terror, sorrow, and love for her family as she faced the possibility of her final breaths. Surviving the accident left Maggie grappling with PTSD, grief, and the loss of the friend who had pulled her from the water. In this episode of Alive Again, Maggie reflects on her journey from an “indoor child” to an outdoor adventurer, the dangerous drive for validation that pushed her into risk, and the hard-won lesson that the people who love you don’t need you to prove yourself—they love you for who you are.

Maggie wrote about her story for Longreads, which you can read here. 

Story Producer: Kate Sweeney

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the part of you that defines your identity begins to fail?

Dana Swanson was a rising creative force—an award-winning writer-producer at Adult Swim, a voice actor, a musical performer, and a self-proclaimed comedy nerd on the brink of big things. But in 2012, her world unraveled when she began to lose control of her speech. What started as a stuttered sentence became a devastating diagnosis: a rare brain tumor—neuronal neoplasm—lodged in a precarious part of her brain.

In this episode of Alive Again, Dana recounts the surreal journey from slurred words to a high-risk, eight-hour brain surgery that would change her life forever. With humor, vulnerability, and crystal clarity, she explores the collapse of identity, the death of an old self, and the painful but profound process of learning to live—and speak—again.

But Dana’s story doesn’t end in silence. It becomes a story of spiritual awakening, intuition, chosen purpose, and using her voice to help others connect to their own. From losing her father at 14 to channeling messages from the other side, Dana opens up about survivor’s guilt, intuitive healing, and embracing the power of reinvention. She reminds us that we all have “battle scars,” and that the ability to evolve—again and again—is the truest sign of being alive.

Cover Art: Daniel Garcia @Superduperfi

Story Producer: Nicholas Tecosky* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a tornado ripped through his Alabama neighborhood, Chris Alonzo found himself clutching his young son in a closet as the walls shook and the front door blew open. In that moment of terror, his desperate plea—“take me, don’t take my son”—became a prayer. 

Raised in a devout Catholic family but long estranged from faith after his grandmother’s painful decline, Chris’s brush with death forced him to confront anger, doubt, and the mystery of survival. In this episode of Alive Again, Chris shares how near-death transformed his understanding of God, community, and unconditional love—and why sometimes, faith is born not from certainty, but from fear, fragility, and the will to protect those we love.

Story Producer: Nicholas Tecosky

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thrill seeker, Nate Dorn, never saw himself living past the age of 25, until he set sail for Cuba on a 28-foot boat with no idea he was heading straight into the storm that would change his life. Trapped in gale-force winds with his fingers crushed in an anchor chain, Nate suddenly recognized the recurring dream that had haunted him since childhood—he was living it in real time. What he thought might be his last moment became a rebirth, one that freed him from fear and gave him what he calls “extra credit” on life. 

In this episode, Nate shares how risk-taking has shaped his adventures, his creative path as a photographer, and his outlook on what it means to truly be alive.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At 18, Jessica Sanchez thought she was dealing with wisdom tooth pain. Instead, doctors found a tumor that would lead to 18 surgeries, chemotherapy, and a near-fatal bleedout. Years later, she faced another harrowing battle: an ectopic pregnancy and rupture that nearly killed her. Jessica’s journey was made even more perilous by political barriers to reproductive healthcare. 

The repeated medical traumas—from cancer to miscarriage to near-drowning—stacked one on top of another until her nervous system froze, shutting her down in order to survive. Yet her breakthrough came when she realized her body was not her enemy but a messenger, urging her to pause, listen, and heal.

In this raw and unflinching conversation, Jessica shares how she learned to listen to her body, survive the freeze of PTSD, and find strength in compassion. 

Story Producer: Nicholas Tecosky

Artist: Jeramy Muxworthy 

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Matthew Fortune flatlined for 45 minutes, he didn’t see a tunnel or meet a divine being—he experienced nothingness. But coming back to life forced him to confront everything. In this unflinching and ultimately redemptive episode, Matthew shares his long and painful battle with addiction and homelessness. From growing up in a strict Christian household to surviving a fentanyl overdose and then rebuilding his life through faith, service, and hard-won responsibility, Matthew’s story challenges assumptions about recovery and the human capacity for change. 

Story Producer: Brent Dey

Resources for opioid and other harm reduction:

Georgia Overdose Prevention: https://georgiaoverdoseprevention.org/

National Opioid Action Coalition: https://www.noac.org/

National Harm Reduction Coalition: https://harmreduction.org/

If you’d like to learn more, get involved, or support those experiencing homelessness, here are some trusted organizations and resources that can help:

National Organizations (U.S.)

• National Alliance to End Homelessness — endhomelessness.org
  Advocacy, research, and policy work to end homelessness. Great starting point for understanding the issue and supporting systemic change.
  
  
• National Coalition for the Homeless — nationalhomeless.org
  Education, advocacy, and grassroots organizing around homelessness and housing rights.
  
  
• National Low Income Housing Coalition — nlihc.org
  Focused on expanding affordable housing and influencing housing policy nationwide.

Direct Support & Volunteering

• The Salvation Army – Homeless Services — salvationarmyusa.org
  Provides shelters, transitional housing, and food assistance.
  
  
• Habitat for Humanity — habitat.org
  Volunteer opportunities to help build affordable housing in local communities.
  
  
• Feeding America — feedingamerica.org
  Helps reduce food insecurity, often a major factor in preventing homelessness.

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our episode title is a lyric by ​​Scott McCaughey, the beloved singer-songwriter behind bands like Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5. McCaughey was also a member of R.E.M.’s touring band and contributed to their albums. He had spent his life living and breathing music—until a massive stroke in 2017 shattered his ability to speak, play, and understand the world around him. He describes the early aftermath as “a bizarre netherworld,” where reality blurred and even the simplest words failed him.

In this deeply human episode of Alive Again, Scott opens up about the long road of recovery—his first terrifying moments in the ER, the confusion of aphasia, and the odd beauty of watching The Wizard of Oz while relearning language. His story isn’t just about survival, but transformation.

With honesty, humor, and an artist’s insight, Scott explores what it means to lose the thing that once defined you—and how love, creativity, and community helped him find something even more profound in its place.

Scott McCaughey has led The Young Fresh Fellows since 1981. In 1993, he and Peter Buck founded The Minus 5 as a side project along with The Posies’ Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. The group’s lineup has featured a rotating cast of musicians over the years. From 1994 to 2011, McCaughey was a member of R.E.M.’s touring band and also contributed to that group’s albums. In 2008, McCaughey formed The Baseball Project with Buck, Pitmon, and Linda’s husband, Dream Syndicate frontman Steve Wynn. The group, which now also features R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills, plays original baseball-themed indie-rock tunes.

 

Scott will be on tour with Minus 5 and The Baseball Project this September (2025). For more info and tour dates, go here: 

The Minus 5 / Baseball Project – September, 2025 Tour 

 

Scott graciously shared tracks from his incredible body of work, including:

• “Johnny Volume,” “Heartbeat Smile” - Alejandro Escovedo 
• “Young Fresh Fellows Theme,” “Power Mowers Theme”  - The Young Fresh Fellows 
• “Hey Lacey (Live)” - Filthy Friends
•  “All The Time,” “Emperor Of The Bathroom,” “Placent Folk,” “Scar Crow,” “MRI,” “Let the Rope Hold, Cassie Lee,” “House Of Four Doors (End Theme),”  “Words & Birds” -  The Minus 5
• “Sun Station Vadsø” - The No Ones

 

Story Producer: Brent Dey

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At 20 years old, Amanda Kloehr was a quirky, irreverent Air Force airman trying to find her way in the world. But everything changed in an instant when her car collided with the back of an 18-wheeler. She was nearly decapitated, lost her right eye, suffered major facial trauma, and spent months in the hospital enduring over 20 surgeries. Against all odds, Amanda lived—and began a long and often painful journey of physical healing, emotional reckoning, and radical self-reinvention.

In this unforgettable episode of Alive Again, Amanda recounts the horror and absurdity of her accident, the quiet trauma of public stares and whispered judgments, and the complex dance of identity that comes with living in a body permanently marked by survival. With humor, vulnerability, and unflinching honesty, she shares how she went from post-crash denial to public speaker, from hiding behind long red bangs to owning her story on national television.

Now a mother, wife, writer, and advocate, Amanda reflects on what it means to live in a society that defines people by their scars—and what it means to rewrite that narrative. Her journey isn’t a tragedy. It’s a declaration: "I am the hero of my own story. I’m proud of the woman I fought to become."

Story Producer: Kate Sweeney

“In the shadow of a wreckage, where silence lay thick,

I danced with the darkness, my heart beating quick.

One eye now a memory, a glimpse of the past,

Through the veil of my trials, I learned hope could last.

With each faltering step, on the path I would tread,

Change bubbled in me like laughter,

While the outside reflected all the places I bled.

Life carved its lessons, etched deep in my soul,

Through pain and resilience, I learned to feel whole.

From the ashes of anguish, a phoenix would rise,

With wings made of moxie, I took to the skies.

I cradled new life, a new generation born,

An ode to strength and a blood oath sworn.

In love, I found solace, our connection, a dream,

Yet storms brewed within me, found safety as a team.

Through heartache and healing, I learned to embrace,

The beauty of journey, the joy in each space.

Two degrees on my wall, symbols of fight,

In the tapestry woven, I found my own light.

To love myself fiercely, to cherish each scar,

Is to know every struggle has brought me this far.

With grit and determination, my sparkle continues to amplify,

A testament to living, to truly defy.

So here's to the battles, the laughter, the tears,

To the moments of triumph that silence our fears.

In the journey of being, of learning to fly,

living out loud is my battle cry.”

• Amanda Kloehr

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.