The Near-Death Experience During Birth That Changed Everything

Until a number of years ago, Shirli Lupu from Afula worked as a teacher, educator, and author of children’s educational books. Her entire world changed after giving birth to her first son, Lavi — an event that led to a near-death experience and forced her to rethink her life.

“In my last year as a teacher, I went on maternity leave,” Shirli recalls. “My grandmother passed away on the exact day I learned I was pregnant, and I started dreaming about her a lot. I was extremely close to her and loved her with all my heart. That period was bittersweet — on the one hand I was thrilled about the pregnancy, but on the other, I was grieving. So dreaming about her didn’t seem strange. But during my near-death experience, she appeared again.”

Her pregnancy gave no indication that anything was wrong. “I was sure I would go to the hospital, give birth, and go home a few days later. Everything looked normal, and I never imagined the birth would take such a deep turn — physically and spiritually.”

“I Never Believed I Was in Danger”

Shirli arrived at the hospital right on time. She had no idea she was in distress until the very last moment.

“I grew up in a good home, married to a wonderful husband, had a career and a degree. Everything in my life was good — I simply didn’t believe anything bad could happen. But the doctors saw immediately that something was wrong and told me I needed an emergency C-section. I kept insisting I was fine and that I could deliver naturally.”

Eventually she agreed to the surgery. Her son was born healthy, thank God, but immediately afterward, everything fell apart. “The doctors placed the baby on me and I felt great. Then everything went crazy.”

She struggled to describe the events chronologically. “I always say: this was not something you can explain in a few hours. I could write entire books.”

Massive Internal Bleeding and Fading Consciousness

“There were many doctors around me, panicking. I was losing a tremendous amount of blood and they couldn’t find the source. They tried several procedures and gave me many units of blood.”

Still, she remained optimistic. “I didn’t realize my life was in danger. Eventually I was taken to the respiratory intensive care unit. Doctors were shaking me, yelling ‘Wake up! Help us help you!’ I tried to open my eyes, but I was no longer there. My soul was above, and my body was below in the operating room.”

The Moment the Soul Left the Body

Shirli says she was aware in two dimensions at once — here and above.

“I felt my soul leave through the heart area and rise upward alongside me. I looked at it, and it looked at me. Doctors told me I had 15 minutes to live because I was receiving my last bag of blood. But at that moment, a great white light landed on my eyelids — an endless light filled with peace, love, and softness.”

In that light she saw scenes from her life — especially moments of deep love. “I felt like I was there again as a two-year-old playing with my parents. It wasn’t like watching a movie — it was real.”

At the same time, she clearly sensed what the doctors were thinking and doing. “I could feel their frustration.”

Messages From Above, and a Life-or-Death Decision

She understood that if she wanted to live, she had to communicate spiritually with the doctors.

“When the senior doctor arrived and explained the procedure he wanted to perform, I felt a clear message that if I agreed — I would die. So I screamed, ‘NO!’”

The doctor surprised her: “He asked me, ‘What do you think we should do?’ I was on the brink of death with no medical knowledge, and he asked me. I told him exactly what the message told me. He shouted the instructions to the staff — and they followed it.”

A Visit From Her Grandmother

The second time her soul separated from her body, she saw her grandmother. “She surrounded me with endless light, wisdom, and love. She protected me like a newborn entering a new world.”

A Conversation With the Divine

“I already understood I was dying,” Shirli recounts. “But I told Him: ‘You can’t take me. There is a newborn waiting for his mother.’ I felt a response: ‘Don’t worry. You’re coming back. You have much work to do. You will be a mother.’”

She still doesn’t know exactly who “He” was, but it was the voice guiding her throughout the experience. At the end, she felt her soul singing the entire ‘Shir LaMa’alot’ prayer before reentering her body.

Returning to Life

After surgery, she was sedated and ventilated. Doctors weren’t sure she would wake up. Her family was told to pray.

“When I woke up, I told them I saw everything from above — it all looked like a game, like I was a puppet and they were trying to save me.”

She wasn’t afraid people would doubt her. “I know what I lived through. God gave me life as a gift — and now I want to share it.”

New Mission: Bringing Light to Children

After recovering, Shirli opened a learning center and wrote a children’s book titled ‘Rami Meets God’, inspired by her experience. it helps children cope with fear, challenges, and uncertainty — especially after COVID.

“My goal was to give children and parents strength and light. To show them they have inner powers.”

A Spiritual Awakening Through Love

Since the experience, Shirli has fully embraced a life of faith.

“I’m in a constant state of gratitude — prayer, challah-baking, mitzvot. My son is in a religious kindergarten. I lecture in seminaries. I speak about the infinite light I saw, my grandmother, and the world from another perspective.”

Her return to faith was not driven by fear, but by love. “The Creator wants us to come close out of love, from the heart. We are all heart. That’s what I feel.”