"Reborn in Faith: A Mother’s Divine Encounter During Childbirth"
New Jersey Woman’s Near-Death Experience Sparks Spiritual Awakening
[Image: Rebecca Boothroyd in a hospital setting, depicting her childbirth ordeal.]
Rebecca Boothroyd, 38, credits a near-death experience during childbirth at 18 for transforming her skepticism about faith into a profound connection with God. Raised Catholic but disillusioned by the religion’s “judgment,” she says a botched epidural during labor led to a life-altering encounter with the divine.
A Brush with Death
During delivery, an epidural intended to numb Boothroyd from the waist upward spread to her brain, causing her body to shut down. “I felt numb, like I was drowning in sweat,” she recalls. Despite pleading with nurses to call a doctor, she was dismissed until her vision faded to white. In that moment, she believes she heard God’s voice, marking a spiritual “rebirth.”
Earlier Close Calls
[Image: Boothroyd as a child, with a dramatic car door incident.]
Years before the hospital ordeal, Boothroyd survived two harrowing accidents. At age five, she accidentally opened a pickup door on a highway, clinging to it as her father swerved to safety. Later, a routine trip to a video store ended with her father rescuing her from a car explosion. “It always seems to be cars with me,” she jokes.
Struggles with Faith and Identity
Growing up Catholic, Boothroyd felt stifled by expectations. “I never felt ‘good enough,’” she says, referencing her unmarried motherhood and mental health struggles, which led to dependency on 25 daily pills. After her near-death experience, she abandoned medications and embraced her “healing gifts,” which she believes lay dormant due to religious repression.
A New Purpose
[Image: Boothroyd as a reverend, radiating serenity.]
Today, Boothroyd is a licensed reverend, advocating a personal relationship with God beyond traditional dogma. “My gifts emerged when I stopped living for others’ approval,” she explains. She now channels her near-death clarity into healing others, rejecting rigid doctrines of heaven and hell. “Are we here to learn or to be free?” she muses.
Boothroyd’s journey—from clinical death to spiritual revival—highlights her belief in purpose beyond near-tragedies. “God speaks to me directly,” she says. “I’m here to help others find their light.”
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