On Monday, February 8, 1999 at 7:30 PM, Nohora, my wife, Micki, Micki's friend Jackie and I attended a session with Long Island's medium John Edward. Who claims to communicate with the dead. A topic that is a difficult subject to share with others, because is not common in our society. In other cultures it not considered unusual at all.

The session is basically a reading to communicate with our loved ones who had passed over. It was held at the Holiday Inn hotel in Westbury, NY. We left the session close to midnight after Micki's reading took place. The session continued for other participants. On our behalf, Micki bought the admission tickets, we did not have contact with John Edward's office.

To the day of our session, it had been 211 days since our beloved son, Mark, passed over. The reason for my participation was that after Nohora's first session with George Anderson failed, she requested that I should attend. Perhaps, she felt that Mark would talk to me, because I was in doubt.

Secondly it was my curiosity to find out if there is life after life, a subject that has been in my mind since Mark passed on. Could we be reunited with our deceased son when we die? Can we communicate with them? I had not been a believer of the after-death communication, even though I have read many books on the subject as well as collected information from the Internet web sites, including John Edward's and George Anderson's.

I had to write this document, which is a transcript of the events that transpired with our reading. It will serve me as a remembrance of this evening and of the items discussed.

After arriving at the hotel, and inquiring for John Edward's lecture we proceeded to the room. We walked to the front of the room and sat in the first row of six chairs. I used the rightmost chair, to my left was Nohora, followed by Micki and Jackie. In the room there were a total of 15 women and me (my good luck!). I would say the average age of the participants were between 30 and 40.

John started the session with a meditation. He suggested that we should imagine being at the beach and one beam of light descendent upon us, then another one. He requested that the spirits of our loved ones be present. After two or three minutes of meditation, he started the session by directing the reading to Jackie.

As far I was concerned, my meditation consisted in requesting that Mark's spirit be present and to put to rest this madness once and for all. I was not sure that Mark would be present.

In conclusion, I went in with doubt, I could not understand how a person can communicate with our loved ones who have passed over.

We seek out mediums for various reasons, including curiosity about the possibility of an afterlife, comfort and emotional support. Most of the books on bereavement, on after-death communication, and near-death communication contain information that states that we can communicate with our loved ones spirit.

However, I believed that after one dies that this is the end of our existence. That there is not such thing as spirits or communications with them. Deep inside I wanted that this experience be positive for my own sake of mind.

After my wife's first experience, I built reluctance and skepticism, but open-minded. My feelings were that the so called medium wanted to get rich at the expense of the people who desperately wanted to know about the departed one.

Even, if all the items below were false or misleading, there was one item that shocked me and made me a believer. The item will remain between my wife and me.

I know that there are people who are skeptical about this kind of session, but, when one is in this kind of suffering, we reach and try anything. I will be honest, I still have to get complete satisfaction, there is still in me curiosity and reluctance.

Someday, I think, I will be completely vindicated. It's not a cure, but unfinished business gets finished and we can come alive again and we can continue with our lives. We are planning another reading on Mark's 1^st anniversary. Hopefully, I can attended this meeting with another attitude.

The following is the context of the reading. John Edward did not allowed any recording devices. We could only write down notes. We recalled the following items to the best of our knowledge:

John Edward started the session with Jackie. Jackie's brother passed over. His name was George. After a few minutes of her reading, John mentioned that George had somebody that he would like to bring it over. That George and Mark had a relationship from a previous life as friends.

• He started by saying that he felt a male presence who died in a car accident and he points toward us. In this group we are the only ones who had lost a child. Nohora raise her hand acknowledging it. However, John indicated that Mark's spirit wanted to talk to his father! Because his father does not believe in the spiritual world. That I should answer. I was stunned, confused and did not know what to say or do. Did he know that I was in doubt?



• He said that he is being show a white rose, that there is a happy event in July around 17 or 18. At the moment we did not know what this happy event was. I mentioned that perhaps it was the 4th of July. But, later we realized that it could have been Nohora's parents 50th wedding anniversary, which we celebrated on July 11 a day before Mark's dead.



• He mentioned that we have a loved one buried in the backyard. I was puzzled with this, due to it being illegal to have a relative buried in your patio. We mentioned that we buried our dog. A ceremony at which was present Nohora, Mark, Kevin and I. Mark said that what happened to the dog was a family decision. We had to put him to sleep. John told us that the dog is with our son.



• He indicated that we are purchasing a refrigerator or that there is something in the back of the unit. The only thing that we have here is Mark's picture, a newspaper picture leaving Saint Cyril church and a memorial page



• He asked whether we have an artistic son, that an older brother drew an artistic Memorial for him. I responded that all my three children are artistic. At first we though that it was Kevin because he was scanning some of Mark's pictures, I though that it could be Mark's memorial web page. However, Alan has a tattoo in memory of his brother on the back of his shoulder.



• He mentioned the car accident. That the reason Mark left was because a rupture in the lower part of his body. As per the Medical examiner, the cause of death was a force blunt in the chest cavity rupturing his aorta. John said that it was Mark's desired to leave, that there was not alcohol or drugs involved and that the accident was nobody fault. That we should not blame anyone.



• Mark said that Alan should not hold Mark's friend accountable, that the EMT did all they could do to save his life but, that the impact caused his death quickly and that he knew he was going, he was ready to go and wanted to go and it was his time.



• John mentioned that Mark is sending a hello message to a family in Florida. There are several family member in Fl. However, the closest one is Carissa, his cousin. That we should mention that he's OK, but, we have to mention it in an easy manner. We traveled to Florida for Carissa wedding.



• He asked if the media was trying to interview us. I told John that the media was trying to interviewed us as well as family members. But, a friend declined the interview. Mark said that he could have been famous. I did mentioned that the accident was reported in Newsday. Also, a few weeks after his death, we requested to participate in a TV research/documentary on the subject of ADC. Although, we were not selected, this project will be aired in August or September of 1999 in HBO. John Edward and George Anderson are participants among others.

Note: Because of my doubts in BDC or ADC, I wanted desperately to participate in this project, it could have been a turning point. Also, I wanted to memorialize Mark's life.

• John asked if we will take a long trip, that Mark said that he's sorry that he could not make the trip that was planned, but that he did it already. On Saturday, July 11, 1998, Nohora's brother Campo Elias and I were discussing the possibility of traveling in the summer of 1999 to Colombia, to celebrate his and his sister's Carmen Rosa 25^th wedding anniversary. From Colombia we planned to travel to Ecuador and spend our vacation together.



• Mark mentions about a candle in our backyard or porch. After the accident our family and the family of the kid who was driving during the accident, we prayed for nine days. In the porch of our house, we setup a memorial and every night before we prayed we lit the candle.



• Mark say that about 8 days after his death that I was in the porch talking to him and that he was there listening. I do not recall it, but, it's probable. Since his passing I talked to him, just as any bereaved parent will.



• John mentions that the reason that Mark is directing himself to me is because my lack of belief. I am not sure here. Yes, I went to this meeting in doubt, but it could have been body language, which John made reference of.



• Mark requested to mention to Joey that he is OK. Mark had two friends named Joey. One who used to drive him to school and the other who worked in McDonald. However, it could have been Karina's husband Joe. Mark had lots of fun with him and he spend a few days with them at their house. Mark called him Joey.



• Mark requested to mention to Eric that he is Ok. Originally we assumed that he was referring to Eric his cousin who reside in Colombia. However, Alan provided the second possibility, that he was referring to Erica, Alan's girlfriend. Mark was fond of her.



• Mark is showing the letters with sound of "Ca". Here we could not came up with a name. However, we can say that could be Nohora's brother Campo, my brother Carlos, my niece Carissa.



• Mark acknowledge that his cousin whose name starts with "Ka" sound is with him and that she was there to welcome him. In July 31, 1993, my wife sister, Carmen Rosa's daughter Karen died in Bogota, Colombia.



• He is showing the zodiac symbol Taurus and there is a reference to the number 26. This is my wife's sister Ligia birthday.



• John said that Mark was showing keys and Nohora acknowledge. The night of the accident he had my wife's set of keys in his packet.



• Mark also said that I wear something that belongs to him. I have in my closet his winter jacket. I have worn it two times.



• He mentions about the boot and the socks. After the accident, the police gave us one boot and one sock which Mark was wearing. My wife keeps them in the closet.



• John mentioned a name AL. Mark used to call his brother Alan, Al. Also, he mentions that Alan can not cope with his death and that he is still upset. There are instances that Alan cries and thinks about his brother. I think this is natural.



• There is a reference that when I was young, I went to fish and that I reside on a mountain. I was born is a port, its possible that I went to fish. I was later raised in another city in the mountains. This item is not clear.