Letters from Heaven: Messages for Those Who Yearn to Connect (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781412088640)

Michele Sloma, is a long time resident of St. Petersburg, Florida. She has been an RN for 26 years and holds a Master's Degree in Nursing from the University of Phoenix, West Florida Campus. She also holds a certification in Thanatology and Death Education and Counseling from the Association of Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and national certification as a Hospice and Palliative Care (CHPN) nurse through the National Association of Hospice and Palliative Nurses. Additionally, she is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, an international nursing honor society that recognizes the scholarly development of the nursing profession. Michele began experiencing death at a young age, the first was her father when she was just 13 years old. The following year her first "boyfriend," John died suddenly. Michele married at the age of 17 and had her first child Todd, when she was only 17. At the age of 19, Michele experienced the death of her second son Tad, at only 2 days old son from respiratory failure. During the next 2 years, she gave birth to two more sons, Travis and Taylor.

In 1990, at the young age of 21, Taylor, the youngest child died suddenly of a massive heart attack. For months, Michele struggled with immense guilt and loss, at times drawing so closely to death. But, death for her was not part of the plan. It is the author's belief that based on these past experiences with death, God had given her the gift to be able to bring through messages from spirit children to their parents. Michele is very emphatic about one thing...these words are not hers...they are given as they are given to her. Michele began to notice being drawn to care for patients in her practice who had suffered the loss of a child. Soon, these experiences led her seek additional educational preparation in terms of death and dying. She provided spiritual consultations to several clients regarding issues of 'letting go' of guilt and resentments, resolving old family issues and preparing the client to experience and peaceful death. She has performed guided imagery for an ALS patient, who was fearful of suffocating at the time of his death. Michele was able to guide him spiritually to a place of rest and four days later the client drifted quietly off to pass over to his place of eternal rest. Michele has been able to provide effective spiritual interventions with numbers of patients who were of different cultural backgrounds and religious beliefs. Clients have included those of the Muslim faith, Christian faith and even an agnostic. Michele is currently writing another book, "The Contract."