Trigger warning: Discussion and images of gun violence.

At 33, championship-level ultimate player and teacher Eileen Murray started coughing up blood—then spent a year being dismissed by doctors before hearing the word no one wants: lymphoma. Six months of chemo followed, buoyed by a community she’d spent years building on the field and in the classroom. Two decades later, driving to a friend’s wedding with her husband and kids, a sniper’s round blew out the back glass—missing her temple by a hair. No one died. It barely made the news. But the PTSD was louder than cancer.

In this blunt, compassionate conversation, Eileen unpacks the visions that foreshadowed her diagnosis, the rage and surrender of treatment, and why the shooting reshaped her parenting. She refuses to center the gunman—saving her anger for systems that fail and doubling down on connection: teaching her sons media literacy, checking their sense of belonging, writing them letters for the day she’s gone. It’s a story about cultivating community before you need it, and choosing grace over grievance.

Listener discretion advised: frank discussion of cancer, medical trauma, gun violence, and PTSD.

 

Eileen’s links:

Eileen’s ultimate frisbee team - https://www.nygridlockultimate.com/ 

Eileen also made a blog post about the shooting which you can check out here: https://www.nygridlockultimate.com/blog/wear-orange

Trigger warning: Discussion and images of gun violence.
At 33, championship-level ultimate player and teacher Eileen Murray started coughing up blood&mdash;then spent a year being dismissed by doctors before hearing the word no one wants: lymphoma. Six months of chemo followed, buoyed by a community she&rsquo;d spent years building on the field and in the classroom. Two decades later, driving to a friend&rsquo;s wedding with her husband and kids, a sniper&rsquo;s round blew out the back glass&mdash;missing her temple by a hair. No one died. It barely made the news. But the PTSD was louder than cancer.
In this blunt, compassionate conversation, Eileen unpacks the visions that foreshadowed her diagnosis, the rage and surrender of treatment, and why the shooting reshaped her parenting. She refuses to center the gunman&mdash;saving her anger for systems that fail and doubling down on connection: teaching her sons media literacy, checking their sense of belonging, writing them letters for the day she&rsquo;s gone. It&rsquo;s a story about cultivating community before you need it, and choosing grace over grievance.
Listener discretion advised: frank discussion of cancer, medical trauma, gun violence, and PTSD.
&nbsp;
Eileen&rsquo;s links:
Eileen&rsquo;s ultimate frisbee team - <a href="https://www.nygridlockultimate.com/">https://www.nygridlockultimate.com/</a>&nbsp;
Eileen also made a blog post about the shooting which you can check out here: <a href="https://www.nygridlockultimate.com/blog/wear-orange">https://www.nygridlockultimate.com/blog/wear-orange</a>

That which doesn’t kill us…

Hosted by award-winning filmmaker Dan Bush, Alive Again is a weekly series featuring extraordinary stories from people who faced death—and came back changed. From near-death experiences to near-fatal accidents and moments of profound crisis, each episode dives into the transformation that happens on the other side of survival.

Told in their own words, these first-hand accounts explore not just what happened in the moment, but how everything changed after: perspectives, priorities, purpose. Some stories are miraculous. Others are brutal. All of them are unforgettable.

Our mission is to find, explore, and share these stories to remind us all of our shared human condition.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you don’t die– this show is for you.

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at aliveagainproject@gmail.com

That which doesn&rsquo;t kill us&hellip;
Hosted by award-winning filmmaker Dan Bush, Alive Again is a weekly series featuring extraordinary stories from people who faced death&mdash;and came back changed. From near-death experiences to near-fatal accidents and moments of profound crisis, each episode dives into the transformation that happens on the other side of survival.
Told in their own words, these first-hand accounts explore not just what happened in the moment, but how everything changed after: perspectives, priorities, purpose. Some stories are miraculous. Others are brutal. All of them are unforgettable.
Our mission is to find, explore, and share these stories to remind us all of our shared human condition.
If you&rsquo;ve ever wondered what happens when you don&rsquo;t die&ndash; this show is for you.
* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we&rsquo;d love to hear your story. Please email us at <a href="mailto:aliveagainproject@gmail.com">aliveagainproject@gmail.com</a>

Alive Again

28 | Bulletproof Love

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2ef8b2a9-3d80-49a8-a94c-b37f01896519/transcript

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