A Nashville oncologist was stunned when a deceased patient appeared in his living room and spoke to him! Later, Dr. Carl Willis learned he was not the only physician who experienced an after-death appearance from Burke Aldridge. The following paragraph is an excerpt taken from a letter written by Dr. Willis, soon after the otherworldly experience.
“Every once in a while, something happens to you that you just can’t explain. You know, when all you can do is take pause or stand still in complete awe…that night between 11:30 and 12:00, as I sat alone on the couch in my family room, something happened. Initially I was frightened and uneasy, only to be overcome, just as suddenly, by a sense of peace and calmness like I have never known before. There was a translucent form there, which I did not recognize. Then I heard a voice, which I had heard before, say, ‘I have gone to Heaven to be with God. Don’t worry about me, I am OK.’ I knew that voice. I didn’t need to call the hospital to find out that Mr. Aldridge had gone on to be with God, just as he had said.”
My husband, Burke, had been under a physician’s care for months. Suffering from continuous pain had become a way of life for him, but the source of the pain remained a mystery. On a cold February night in 2005, I rushed him to the emergency room at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. His pain had reached an unbearable level and was accompanied by acute respiratory distress.
The emergency staff responded at once when they realized the severity of Burke’s symptoms. His right lung had collapsed. Within minutes, the nurse started him on oxygen and administered an injection of morphine to lessen the severe chest pain. The attending physician then admitted Burke to the critical care unit, a unit reserved for only the most life-threatening conditions.
For the next five days, medical professionals examined, probed, biopsied, scanned, and X-rayed Burke’s body relentlessly. His pain never decreased and his inability to breathe became nearly unbearable. It was hard to believe this critically ill man had been busy living an active life only days before. Now my strong, 53-year-old husband slipped in and out of consciousness, engaged in a battle for his life.
I did all I could to make him comfortable. He knew how much I loved him, and I assured him that I would remain by his side. I prayed for him, and I read Scripture to him even when he was not conscious. I knew his spirit had to remain strong in order to fight the attack against his body.
On the sixth day, the biopsy results confirmed the worst: Burke had lung cancer, and it had spread to his spine. He was in the fourth and final stage with a life expectancy of only 30 days. Burke calmly listened to the ominous prognosis, then looked at me and said, “Where is the fear? It’s strange but there is no fear.” I understood and agreed with him because I was also free of fear. We both knew God was with us in the midst of the chaos and we were extremely grateful for His presence.
How do you tell your children you are dying? How do you find the right words?
As a father, Burke was outstanding! From day one, he participated in the care of our son and daughter, David and Donna. When they were babies, he rocked them to sleep and fed them almost as often as I did. When they were young children, he nurtured them and played games with them. He spent quality time with each child, patiently listening to questions and answering in ways they could understand. Burke had the unique ability to see life through their eyes, never expecting them to see life through his. As the children grew, they often sang and played guitar with their dad. Our family loved sincerely, laughed frequently, and we were openly affectionate. We were happy together, and saying good-bye would prove to be the hardest thing, we had ever done.
The evening after we had received the doctor’s prognosis, our children arrived at the hospital. I sat nearby and listened as Burke told them the dreadful news. A feeling of helplessness came over me as I watched them attempt to control their emotions. Tears welled in their eyes and spilled over in silence as they tried to be strong for their dad. We had never experienced that kind of pain before. I could almost hear their hearts breaking. I felt as if a part of me was dying.
It was Burke’s nature to find the good in any situation, a quality that did not fail him even in that terrible moment of realization. Gently, Burke told the children how wonderful it was to love them, to be their dad, and to have shared their lives with them. He spoke plainly to them of the importance of faith in our Lord. He reminded them to look past this temporary life toward the approaching life eternal, where the word good-bye does not exist. He expressed his desire that God would use the situation and cause something good to come from his premature death.
It was late when David and Donna went home. I settled down in a chair, wanting to sleep—to escape reality. Burke’s breathing was difficult. He was in excruciating pain and restless in the unfamiliar hospital bed. It was a time filled with bittersweet emotions. We all lived through that day, but I believe it was the most heartrending day we ever endured.
The following days and nights turned into a blur of continuous mental and physical anguish. Family and friends came for brief visits. They came to say goodbye to a very deserving and special person whose life appeared to be drawing to a close. Outside the door, they wept and then dried their eyes before entering the room.
Burke bravely faced his last days, though weary from relentless pain and the ever-present struggle to breathe. He described his intense pain as half-physical and half-heartsick pain. Leaving his loved ones caused him great distress. As others hid their tears, so did I. I hid them well in an attempt to spare him even more pain. He could not bear to think of leaving me alone, so I pretended I was a rock even when I felt like a pebble.
The morning of February 28, day 22 of Burke’s final journey, began with a fine, cold rain. Gray clouds hovered over the city. I stood by his bed watching him sleep and listening to each breath. He was heavily sedated. For the moment, I was thankful he was not hurting.
Suddenly, Burke’s eyes opened and he smiled a radiant smile! He was wide awake when he told me he had been with the Lord! He said the Lord had showed him things of Heaven and spoke to him about them. With great peace, Burke told me, “The Lord said I can come home and He will help me cross over.” My husband reminded me that his quality of life had diminished to the point where he was no longer living, merely existing in agony. With no hesitation and an unmistakable anticipation, Burke told me he was ready to go. I could no longer hide my tears, and they fell down my face. He smiled at me and said, “No regrets.” My heart was breaking, but I nodded and agreed, “No regrets.”
I did not give up at that time, but I did give in. I accepted God’s will. I knew Burke was in God’s hands, and I had done all I could do. My prayers changed; I no longer prayed for Burke to stay on earth. I promised him I would remain beside him and hold his hand until Jesus took his other hand to lift him up to Heaven. He assured me that he would meet me there when it was my turn to cross over.
In a short time, the Lord allowed me to keep my promise; I held Burke’s hand as his life on earth ended later that same day. Death came for him just before midnight. As I held Burke’s hand in mine, I became aware of a magnificent, holy presence. Although it was beyond my physical sight, I knew that a heavenly presence saturated the very atmosphere of the room. There was a strong feeling of anticipation in the air as Burke’s spirit left his body. If I had reached above my head, I believe I could have touched the angels! In my spirit, I could hear them rejoicing, “Burke’s coming home, Burke’s coming home!” I found comfort in the knowledge that his life in Heaven was about to begin.
I called our children after Burke died, and they came to say good-bye. We left the hospital just before three o’clock in the morning as giant, unpredicted snowflakes blanketed the streets. Snow was not in the forecast; however, Burke had repeatedly mentioned seeing snow the day before. Against the wishes of the children, I drove home alone. I had to reconcile within my heart the reality of my situation.
My strength was gone. Exhaustion and loneliness overwhelmed me. I could hardly see the road because the snowfall was very heavy. It took me almost an hour to get to our home in the country. Darkness accentuated the lonely music made by wind chimes swaying in the cold, winter wind.
I drove into the garage and pressed the remote, closing the garage door. It closed partially then raised right back up. It closed successfully on the second try. I did not think it was significant until the same thing happened the next two nights when I entered the garage. Each time, it was as if someone walked into the garage behind me, triggering the safety device. I saw no one.
I slept about three hours before David came over at 8 a.m. As soon as he arrived, the phones began to ring. David answered but heard only a dial tone. The ringing continued as he moved from phone to phone all through the house. The answering machine was set to answer after four rings; however, the answering machine did not respond, though it was in perfect working condition. All the phones in the house were ringing! The ringing stopping after a dozen rings. Suddenly, I remembered—Burke said he was going to try to send me a fax when he got to Heaven letting me know he was all right. I said as much to David. He bounded up the stairs to my office and discovered the fax machine was unplugged! We shook our heads in uncertainty, wondering what just happened.
Two days later, Dr. Arthur Cushman, a neurosurgeon, and his wife, Carolyn, visited our family at the funeral home. Dr. Cushman called me aside and told me a miraculous, unusual report—Burke had appeared in his home the night before, nearly 24 hours after his death! He said Burke appeared to him in the center of a white light. He described what he saw: “Burke’s body was surrounded by a white light like a white halo. He looked very healthy and happy and appeared to be younger than at the time of his death.”
Burke spoke to him saying, “Don’t worry, Slim, I’m all right.” (Slim was a nickname Burke had called him for many years.) Dr. Cushman continued, “He then gradually faded out of sight. There was no one else with him, but I could tell he was in a beautiful land filled with flowers; I could see the flowers behind him. This is the only time I have ever had an experience like that. I surely am glad that Burke came to tell me good-bye.”
My family and I welcomed the news as a rare gift of hope from God. We knew Burke was a Christian and we believed he was in Heaven. The news of Burke’s after-death appearance to Dr. Cushman was a welcome source of encouragement. My family and I gained strength when we learned of the encounter. Amazement and appreciation filled me in response to the Lord’s generous gift. I sensed that God was reminding me, “I am with you; you are never alone.”
Days later, I had a conversation with Dr. Willis, Burke’s oncologist. He, too, had a story to tell. He told me Burke visited him in his home on the very night he died! Dr. Willis reported he was in his family room reading a book that night. He saw something unusual in his peripheral vision—a shimmering white light. As he refocused his eyes, the light began to manifest into the shape of a man’s body. Dr. Willis could not clearly see the man’s face because the man was translucent. Dr. Willis was astounded when he heard Burke’s voice say, “I have gone to Heaven to be with God. Don’t worry about me. I am OK.”
Dr. Willis said in a letter to me, “I knew that voice. I didn’t need to call the hospital to find out that Mr. Aldridge had gone on to be with God, just as he had said. He was ready for the Lord, and the Lord was ready for him, despite my intentions. I think he must have known how much I wanted to help him, and he stopped by just to let me know he was feeling a whole lot better. He was breathing a lot better and he had no more pain. He had met a better Doctor who had given him rest and comfort and had granted him everlasting life. I hope this recap of my encounter brings comfort to you.”
I asked Dr. Willis and Dr. Cushman for written documentation of the encounters. Both physicians were kind enough to comply with my request. Dr. Cushman faxed a letter to me on March 29, 2005, and Dr. Willis faxed his letter to me on March 31, 2005. I sat at my desk reading the letters and contemplating the significance of the content. I smiled as I realized the true meaning of the letters. I really did get a fax from Heaven! The message that I received from Burke by way of two physicians was, “I’ve gone to Heaven to be with God. Don’t worry. I am OK!” Two witnesses confirmed the message!
This true story was further authenticated by a televised interview with the two doctors who witnessed the after-death appearances and a news report conducted by Jennifer Johnson, news anchor for WSMV Channel 4 News of Nashville, Tennessee. This televised segment documented the testimonies of Dr. Carl Willis and Dr. Arthur Cushman, both from the Nashville area. In the interview, the physicians stated they personally witnessed an otherworldly, apparition in their respective homes shortly after Burke Aldridge died of cancer at Baptist Hospital in Nashville. The interview is still viewable online by searching for it in association with the book title: Real Messages from Heaven by Faye Aldridge+ WSMV News.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
NOTE: This is an after-thought but I believe it is significant enough to mention. During the six months prior to Burke’s death, he experienced a recurring dream on numerous occasions. Each time, his deceased grandmother came to him asking him the same question.
She asked, “Burke, are you ready to go?” His reply was always the same. “Not yet, Gran,” to which she replied, “I’ll be back.” The visual aspect of the dream was identical each time and the communication was the same.
Each time, Burke seemed a bit puzzled by the dream and the increased frequency of the occurrences. It makes a lot of sense now, looking back on the circumstances. Gran was preparing him for the transition! In my mind, this is additional proof for my strong belief that many dreams are heavenly forms of communication.