Aileen Loy grew up inside a storm—descended from indentured laborers, raised in a rigid, often violent household, and taught to keep the family together at any cost. At 13, she watched a Halloween car crash fling her four-month-older nephew through a windshield; the year before, a beloved brother had died by suicide. For years she became the caretaker and the peacemaker—“a people pleaser” who never prioritized her own pain—until the reckoning came: an ICU stay after a suicidal spiral and the hard decision to break from the patterns that were breaking her. In this raw conversation, Aileen traces the inheritance of shame and self-loathing, the pressure to assimilate, and the moment she realized, “I am a severely damaged person,” then chose to heal—through truth-telling, boundaries, and art. It’s a story about refusing the “family curse,” and finding dignity beyond survival. 

Content note: This episode includes discussion of family violence, a fatal accident involving a child, suicide and suicidal ideation, depression, and intergenerational trauma. Listener discretion advised.

If you or someone you love is struggling, you’re not alone. In the U.S., dial or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Story Producer: Nicholas Tecosky

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

Aileen Loy grew up inside a storm&mdash;descended from indentured laborers, raised in a rigid, often violent household, and taught to keep the family together at any cost. At 13, she watched a Halloween car crash fling her four-month-older nephew through a windshield; the year before, a beloved brother had died by suicide. For years she became the caretaker and the peacemaker&mdash;&ldquo;a people pleaser&rdquo; who never prioritized her own pain&mdash;until the reckoning came: an ICU stay after a suicidal spiral and the hard decision to break from the patterns that were breaking her. In this raw conversation, Aileen traces the inheritance of shame and self-loathing, the pressure to assimilate, and the moment she realized, &ldquo;I am a severely damaged person,&rdquo; then chose to heal&mdash;through truth-telling, boundaries, and art. It&rsquo;s a story about refusing the &ldquo;family curse,&rdquo; and finding dignity beyond survival.&nbsp;
Content note: This episode includes discussion of family violence, a fatal accident involving a child, suicide and suicidal ideation, depression, and intergenerational trauma. Listener discretion advised.
If you or someone you love is struggling, you&rsquo;re not alone. In the U.S., dial or text 988 for the Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline.
Story Producer: Nicholas Tecosky
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> We&rsquo;d love to hear your story!&nbsp;

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

33 | Born Astride a Grave

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5aaca979-69eb-4049-a761-b3a90155256a/transcript

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