It was a peaceful Sunday afternoon on October 19, 1997, when the Whitley family was driving home from church. The day seemed ordinary, filled with the usual warmth of family togetherness. Young Landon Whitley sat in the backseat of the family’s Pontiac Sunfire, while his parents, Julie and Andy, rode in the front. No one could have predicted the life-altering events about to unfold.

As they approached an intersection, Andy suddenly shouted something, but the words were lost in the chaos that followed. In an instant, everything changed. A speeding ambulance, responding to an emergency, collided with their vehicle with immense force. The impact was devastating.

Julie barely had time to process what had happened before she was overcome with the pain of her injuries. The crash had taken a tragic toll. Andy did not survive, leaving Julie to grapple with the unbearable loss of her husband. However, her agony was compounded by an even greater concern—Landon was nowhere to be found amidst the wreckage.

Rescuers worked frantically to locate the young boy, and when they finally did, the situation was dire. Landon was unresponsive, his body limp and lifeless. Emergency responders fought to revive him as he was quickly airlifted to a nearby hospital. That day, Landon died not once, but twice—first at the crash site and again on the way to the hospital. But it was during his final moment of death in the hospital that something truly extraordinary happened.

At just eight years old, Landon experienced something that would change his life forever. As his body lay still, caught between life and death, he found himself in a place unlike anything he had ever seen before. He later described it as heaven—a realm of golden streets and indescribable peace. He saw Jesus, angels, and even his father, who had tragically passed away in the accident. But that wasn’t all. Landon also encountered two other people whom he had never met before.

As he grew older, the memory of that place never faded. He recalled how the visions of heaven had filled him with a deep understanding of life and the afterlife. Though he had been just a child at the time, the experience shaped his faith and gave him a sense of peace, knowing that there was more beyond this world.

Doctors were grim in their prognosis for Landon. They warned Julie that if he survived, he would likely face severe brain damage and would never be able to walk, talk, or eat on his own again. But none of that mattered to Julie—her son was the only thing she had left, and she was willing to care for him no matter what.

In the days following the accident, Julie wrestled with the loss of her husband. At his funeral, she was overwhelmed with sorrow, struggling to understand why God had allowed such a tragedy. She was angry, confused, and heartbroken. But even in her grief, she prayed more fervently than ever for Landon’s survival. She didn’t understand why her husband had died, but she clung to her faith, hoping that her son would be spared.

Then, after two weeks of being unconscious, Landon woke up. To the amazement of doctors and nurses, he showed no signs of brain damage. It was nothing short of a miracle. Julie was overjoyed, but she knew she faced another difficult moment—telling Landon that his father was gone.

She approached her son gently, not wanting to cause him more pain than he had already endured. With love in her voice, she asked, “Do you know where your dad is?”

Landon’s response stunned her. “Yes,” he said with certainty. “I saw him in heaven.”

But his revelations did not end there. He told his mother that he had also seen other family members in heaven, including two siblings. Julie was taken aback—she had suffered two miscarriages before Landon was born, but she had never spoken to him about it. And yet, he knew.

“In heaven, you just know,” Landon explained. “You know who everyone is.”

Each time Landon had died, he had experienced a different part of heaven. On his third visit, he met Jesus, who gave him a clear and powerful message: “You have to go back to Earth, be a good Christian, and tell others about me.”

That message became Landon’s life mission. He and his mother dedicated themselves to sharing their story with the world, hoping to bring comfort and faith to those who had suffered loss. Landon was certain about what he had seen, and he wanted others to know that Jesus, heaven, and angels were real.

Julie, too, underwent a transformation. While she had once questioned why God had not sent angels to protect them, she later came to believe that angels had been with them all along, guiding them through God’s greater plan. Instead of letting grief consume her, she used their story to help others strengthen their faith, even in times of sorrow and hardship.

Despite surviving the accident, Landon did not emerge unscathed. His injuries left him with 23 metal plates in his head, a nose reconstructed from his skull, and permanent vision loss in one eye. Yet, against all odds, he went on to live a mostly normal life. His survival was nothing short of miraculous—a testament to faith, resilience, and the power of love.

Landon’s story serves as a reminder of hope in the face of tragedy. Though he endured immense loss and physical pain, his spirit remained unbroken. He continues to share his experience, bringing faith and encouragement to those who need it most. His journey is one of strength, belief, and the unwavering certainty that heaven is real.

As he and his mother spread their message, they remind the world that faith can carry us through even the darkest moments. For those struggling with loss or doubt, their story is a beacon of hope—a testimony that love transcends death, and that there is something greater waiting beyond this life.

Sᴇᴇ Mᴏʀᴇ: Jesus ‘wasn’t called Jesus’ as scientists say Son of God went by something else

Jesus’ name has been through various different translation throughout the years, however historian now claim Jesus’ real name might be closer to the name we now know as ‘Joshua’

Jesus has been known as many names throughout the years (Image: Getty Images)

Jesus Christ probably had a totally different name, experts have sensationally claimed. Boffs reckon he would have gone by a moniker in his native language of Aramaic which would be unrecognisable to us.

It is a far cry from our modern tongue and the name Jesus has letters which were not even used in written language until 1,500 years after the ‘son of God’ died. The name of Christianity’s main figure has been mangled over time after being repeatedly translated – mutating from Aramaic to Hebrew, then Greek and into Latin.

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It finally received an English translation in the 16th century by which time it had become ‘Jesus’.

In Hebrew this name is written as “Yeshu” which is closer to the English name “Joshua.”(Image: Getty Images)

Linguists also claim the surname was not ‘Christ’ and instead would have been linked to his home town of Nazareth in Israel. It means Jesus’ real name was probably actually Yeshu Nazareen. Professor Dineke Houtman, an expert on the relationship between Judaism and Christianity said: “We cannot know for sure which languages Jesus spoke.

“However, given his family background in Nazareth, we can assume his day-to-day language was Aramaic.”

The religious studies boff, from the Protestant Theological University in the Netherlands, said Jesus with a hard ‘J’ wasn’t a name that existed at the time he lived.

Professor Houtman added: “His name would probably have been in Aramaic – Yeshua. It is likely that this is also how he introduced himself. Another possibility is the shorter form Yeshu which is the form used in later rabbinic literature.”

The name Yeshu was as popular as the name Arthur is today. Professor Candida Moss, of Birmingham University added: “Most scholars agree that his name was Yeshua or possibly Yeshu, which was one of the most common names in first-century Galilee.”

Jesus’ lived in a region called Judea that was under the control of the Roman Empire that is now located in modern day Israel and Palestine(Image: Getty Images)

And experts cast doubt on the name ‘Christ’ too. Historian Dr Marko Marina, of Zagreb University said: “In the ancient world, most people didn’t have a last name as we understand it today. Instead, they were identified through other means, such as their parentage, place of origin, or other distinguishing characteristics.

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“For example, someone might be referred to as ‘John, the son of Zebedee’ or ‘Mary Magdalene’, with ‘Magdalene’ probably indicating she was from a place called Magdala.”

Many scholars agree Jesus, who was frequently referred to as Jesus of Nazareth, would likely have incorporated his hometown into his name.