A woman from Georgia who recently died from a heart attack is sharing her story of entering Heaven while she flatlined on Earth.
In November of 2021, Janelle Wofford's day started off normal, she told CBN during a recent interview. However, after eating, she started having pains that alarmed her.
"Pretty quickly after finishing eating I had a feeling that was heavy in my chest, but just felt like indigestion and didn't really think a whole lot of it," says Wofford. "Then I noticed pain in my left shoulder. It started to kind of go up near my jaw."
After this point, Wofford's breathing started to get shallow and she started sweating.
"That's when I really started to think, well, maybe this really is something going on with my heart. I called for my daughter to come out to talk to me, and I let her know I wasn't feeling right, that I felt like I might need to go to the hospital."
Without hesitation, Wofford's daughter took action and called 9-1-1.
"They came in and I remember the EMT started asking me questions, who I was, how I was feeling, and I started to describe to him the pain and what all the symptoms were that I was feeling. All of a sudden, I just said, 'My head feels funny.' I said, 'And my vision.' And at that point all I saw, it was like this veil – this white, cloudy veil just kind of came down. And that was it."
A Heavenly Experience
It was at this moment that Wofford found that she was no longer in her kitchen.
"The next thing I know is I was just in a bright, bright place and was overwhelmed with joy and peace and happiness. I was looking around at everything, everyone, just trying to see who all was there. It was a place of comfort. It was like a familiar place. I knew people that I loved were there, and I was looking to see what all was there and who all was there. It was just beautiful. No pain, no fear, just peace, comfort, joy. It was amazing. Why would you want to leave? I didn't."
Although Wofford didn't want to leave this place of total peace and joy, she heard someone calling her name.
"I was like, 'No thank you, I'm happy here. I'm staying here. I'm enjoying this. I'm not leaving this.' Then I heard my name again and I'm like, 'Oh, do I have to answer?' I said, 'Maybe if I answer, they'll let me come back.' So, I answered, and the moment I answered to my name – the minute I answered my name, it was gone. I was back right there with the EMTs, no longer in Heaven."
Back in the kitchen, the EMTs told Wofford what had happened. A heart attack had stopped her heart and the paramedics performed CPR on her and shocked her heart for roughly two and a half minutes before she was revived.
"I really believe the Lord let me go through this for my daughter," says Wofford. "So, that she can have that reassurance to know, truly know, that Jesus is real, God is real, Heaven is real and it's all worth it. To know that whatever you go through on this earth, in this earthly life, as bad and as hard as it is, it's worth it to know Jesus as your saviour and to trust God with all you're going through."
After only two days in the hospital, Wofford was allowed to go back home after being treated. She is currently doing well and enjoys telling people about her experience of going to Heaven and coming back.
"I didn't have pain at all. What is everyone back on earth doing? I wasn't worried about that. I wasn't worried about anything and I was just overwhelmed with the peace and the joy and the glory of it all."