Skateboard Accident Leaves Young Man in Critical Condition
Gabe Poirot, aged 20 at the time, experienced a life-altering moment when his skateboard struck an obstacle while he was travelling at nearly 30 miles per hour. Thrown six feet into the air, he crashed headfirst onto the pavement without wearing a helmet, resulting in a severe traumatic brain injury.
His friend, John Michael, who witnessed the accident, described the horrifying scene. "He was lying unconscious on the ground. Eyes were closed, we're praying over him. Speaking over him like, 'Gabe, you're going to live. You're not going to die. You're going to live. You're not going to die.' Just, you know, over and over again," he recalled.
Medical Crisis and Induced Coma
Rushed to the hospital, Gabe was immediately placed on a breathing machine. Dr. Forrest 'Dell' Moore, Vice Chief of Surgery, explained the gravity of his injuries. "It was clear he had had a pretty bad head injury. He was taken into one of these trauma bays and then resuscitated, was found to have a very significant, traumatic brain injury," he stated.
The injuries included subdural haemorrhages, extravasation haemorrhages, and contusions. Dr. Moore added, "There's not really anything we can do for that other than to make sure his brain's getting the oxygen that it needs and the support that he needs to try and heal." Gabe was placed in a medically induced coma, with doctors warning that even if he survived, the chances of neurological devastation were very high.
Heavenly Vision During Coma
While unconscious, Gabe reported a profound spiritual experience. He described being suctioned up by a tunnel of light, away from the hospital and into another realm. "I immediately knew that I was being suctioned up to an appointment with Him. It was like this city of pure glory, pure light, pure love. But then, as the closer I got to the centre of the city, He was there waiting for me. Seeing Him changed everything," he said in a YouTube video.
Gabe also claimed to witness prayers from his community from a heavenly perspective. "I literally saw the prayers of the saints, the sons and daughters of God. I saw them from heaven's perspective. They were gathered up into this bowl, this golden bowl, every single one of them. And literally, they are presented to the throne room of heaven, and all of heaven stands at attention because our prayers are the Father's priority," he explained.
Community Prayer and Miraculous Awakening
As Gabe's condition worsened, his community rallied together. John Michael organised a worship night that was live-streamed globally, mobilising prayers from around the world. "We had a worship night that night; we live-streamed it. We, you know, on all of our social media, you know, we just blasted it to the world and, really, felt like the whole community, the whole Christian community, extended community across the world came together to pray for Gabe," he said.
After 18 days in a coma, a close family friend named Ginger visited and prayed over him, urging him to wake up. Gabe described seeing these prayers form bridges on earth. "Closer to the end of my time with Him, these prayers formed a bridge on the earth. I literally saw these bridges that were being formed. And sure enough, the bridges gathered, and then Jesus united himself with them, and they got bigger. And bigger and bigger," he recounted.
Ginger recalled the moment Gabe began to regain consciousness. "I said, 'Gabe, Gabe, look at me. Are you awake? I said, 'you're going to wake up and you're going to get up and I knew that he was going to be okay'," she said.
Full Recovery Defies Medical Odds
Upon waking, Gabe felt disoriented, describing himself as a "foreigner" after his time with Jesus. "It was so odd because here I am in the same body I was in just 18 days ago," he noted. Astonishingly, within days of emerging from the coma, he walked out of the hospital fully recovered.
Dr. Moore called the recovery a miracle. "I mean, it is nothing short of a miracle. And, it is God's grace that he is here today and that he's fully recovered. Very few patients with his injuries, requiring his amount of care, being put in that pentobarbital coma, very few survivors, and even fewer that have a full recovery," he remarked.
Life After the Experience
Gabe has since reflected on the purpose of his survival. "We are here on the credit of his grace. He has such an amazing plan for all of our lives and people don't understand the amount of actually crazy situations the Lord has saved them from," he said. He emphasised the importance of recognising life's blessings and one's divine purpose.
To share his story, Gabe has published a book titled 18 Days in Heaven: I Left My Body. I Met Jesus. What He Told Me Will Wreck You, released on April 7, available for pre-order on Amazon. His experience continues to inspire discussions on faith, recovery, and the mysteries of near-death phenomena.
