In late June 2024, I found myself in the hospital with severe chest pain, which was ultimately diagnosed as walking pneumonia. Unfortunately, my condition escalated quickly; my left lung collapsed, followed shortly by my right lung. I slipped into a coma and was placed on life support.

The medical team informed my family that my chances of survival were grim, leaving them to prepare for the worst. However, through an incredible outpouring of prayers and support from my loved ones, I managed to defy the odds and pull through. I’ll share the full details of that harrowing experience in another post. For now, just click the button below.

During my coma, I faced a tumultuous landscape of nightmares, which I will also delve into later. Yet amidst the darkness, I experienced transformative dreams of songwriting and performing on stage. To my astonishment, in these dreams, I wrote fifty songs. The origin and essence of these songs were a mystery, but they came to me with clarity and purpose.

Reflecting on my past, I recalled my attempts at songwriting as a child—lyrics that felt like the simplistic charm of ABCs, lacking depth and maturity. But after returning home and gradually regaining my strength, the melodies from my dreams refused to leave me. With the encouragement and support of family and friends, I decided to bring these songs to life.

This experience has been revolutionary , and I look forward to sharing more about my journey, the songs that emerged from my dreams, and the powerful process of healing and creativity that followed. Thank you for joining me on this incredible adventure.

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Darkness Falls

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I’ll start from the beginning; however, I’m going to leave a lot out because it
is too much to talk about. There were so many horrible things that happened that bring me
to tears every time I relive those long torturous days and nights that went on for  3
weeks. I can talk about a few good things, though, so here we go.

I went to the hospital with chest pains at the end of June 2024. The first day I was sent
back home just to turn around to go back the next day. My son, Buckaroo, wanted to come
with me, but I told him no, just stay here with your brother. I told him I wasn’t sure how long
it might take. I knew deep down something was really wrong and I didn’t want him to be
freaked out at the hospital.

I arrived back at the ER, sitting there in so much pain, waiting to be seen. This lady
was called back and as she was walking past me; she stopped and said, “I prayed for you.”
As she touched my shoulder. I felt a chill. I told her thank you.

Another family came in; it was a mom and three teenage girls. They were not saying a
word to each other. As I was called to go back, the three girls and mom said good luck, we
said a prayer for you. I said thank you and went back. I fell asleep and darkness took over. I
had no idea what happened in the real world after that.

I had nightmares over and over, the same nightmares never changed. I could hear my family
and friends talking, but I couldn’t understand anything they were saying. It felt like they
were saying their goodbyes, and I was trying to tell them “I’m here, I’m still here!”
I was trying to let them know I was still fighting from the inside, but they couldn’t hear me.

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In my nightmare, my son was talking to me, as he was saying, “I love you daddy, please
hurry home.” Those words were repeating in my head over and over. I started following
his voice walking down a hallway full of doors like something from a Twilight Zone movie. I
walked through one door, I entered the room and found my mother there, radiating her usual beauty. She embraced me warmly, and we engaged in a profound conversation. We discussed many things, including her immense pride in me and my achievements as a father. She expressed her longing for everyone and shared her sadness about not having the opportunity to meet my youngest son, who was born in 2014, a year after her passing in 2013 due to cancer.

Our conversation continued, and she eventually said, "I have to go; it’s not my time yet. The family needs you, and you must wake up and return home." I was perplexed, thinking to myself, “But I’m looking right at you; my eyes are open.” Holding my hands, she reassured me, "Your music will touch the hearts of many; you are blessed with the gift of songwriting."

Interestingly, my mother had advised me as a teenager, after reading my early attempts at songwriting, to focus on singing instead of writing—she believed my talents lay in vocal performance rather than in writing. However, this time felt different; she affirmed that my songs would resonate with people. Despite still feeling unsure about my songwriting abilities, her words filled me with a mix of confusion and hope.

As she concluded our conversation, she expressed her love and said, "I have to go; they're coming." I didn’t quite understand who she meant, and in a moment, she urged me to leave. Suddenly, I found myself back in the hallway filled with doors, feeling even more lost than before.
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I walked through another door, and I could see myself on a stage, years from now, singing to my good friends Brittany Oviedo Shipman and her husband Taylor Shipman on their 12-year
anniversary. I sang to them a couple of songs that I wrote for them in my dream. Songs I
named “Slow Dance” and “You I Love Most”. Apparently, I was a great songwriter in this
dream. Oh yeah, I was dreaming for sure. I wrote all these songs, and I became a great
songwriter and even won best songwriter of the year.

Then my son’s voice yelled out again as I went through another door.

I could hear all my kids and grandkids talking and playing around, but they
couldn’t hear me. I was like “Hey I must tell y’all about this dream I had. It was crazy.” They
didn’t even acknowledge me standing there. I said, “Hey what da butt. Why are y’all not
answering me? ”My Buckaroo said, “They can’t hear or see you because you’re not here.”
As I’m standing there talking to my 10-year-old son, and looking right at him, he
says, “I’m not even here.” Then out of nowhere, I hear his voice again yelling out “Daddy!” I
was really confused. My son said “You’re running out of time, run to my voice! Hurry, I need

you to come home!” He said, “Run now, dad, as fast as you can! They’re coming!” I asked,
“Who’s coming?” He said, “The shadows!” I was thinking, who? He yelled, “Run, dad, run!”

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I started running, following my son’s voice. I went through another door and then I felt a
push and started falling down. It was pitch black. As I was falling, I could see myself looking
down at myself falling. It was like I was falling for days. I yelled out to myself, “Help me!”
and my other me just stood there doing nothing. Then suddenly, I hit the bottom. I watched
myself die. Lying there lifelessly, I was looking at my dead body.

Dark shadows were moving around me. It looked like long black ropes had started
grabbing my legs and arms and were pulling me away as I was still looking on from above.
I heard my son say “I love you daddy. Please hurry up and come home.” While
watching my lifeless body, my fingers started to move. Over and over, I was hearing my
son’s voice repeating the same thing.

My hands and legs started shaking and my son’s voice got louder. My whole body
had found life again, but the darkness had a hold of me so tight. I still managed to break
free and tried to get away. The power of the darkness was getting stronger. I called out to my
son to keep talking. I yelled “I’m coming to you!” as darkness grabbed hold of me again. I
was struggling to walk, but I found a way to keep going. With darkness continuing to try to
pull me back, it was getting harder and harder, but I was going to get to my son no matter
what! He and my family are waiting for me, so I must get to them.

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As I was struggling to break free, I saw my other self still standing there. I yelled
out “Help me.” He disappeared and then reappeared in front of me. He said, “Are you
ready to fight?” I yelled out, “Yes!” he said, “Are you sure?” I said, “With everything I
have!” he said, “Ok! The voice you hear, keep going to it! The power you need has been
there, you just needed to find it!” and he stepped into my body. We became one again
and I felt like I could be the real Superman. The darkness started losing the fight. So, all
the shadows combined to make one big shadow. It was now or never to win this fight!
As the shadow and I ran towards each other, I jumped up with a powerful fist and hit the
shadow which caused a big explosion that lit up the whole area. Darkness was
defeated! At the same time, I hear my son yell out “Daddy!” and I woke up in real life!

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I went through a lot mentally and physically. I entered the hospital weighing 233
pounds and I came out at 162 pounds. I couldn’t walk or use my hands. I had to learn
how to walk and use my hands all over again. However, it didn’t take me long because I
needed to be there for my son. I pushed myself to walk again. Doctors said it would be
about 3 to 4 months before I was able to walk on my own. I told them to just get me to
my son, and I will walk. Just let me go home to my son. He needs me and I need him.

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I have never been away from my Buckaroo for more than a day, and it was so
heartbreaking that I was away from him almost two months, but when I got home to see
my son, I put the walker down and I walked to him. It was a matter of a week, not
months for me to walk. I mean it wasn’t pretty, me walking like a baby duck, but I
walked. Even though I lost precious time away from my family, I’m still here, alive and
kicking!

 

I’m still dealing with a few issues like nerve damage in my left leg and the right
side of my face. I can’t feel from my check to top of my head on the right side. Every
now and then it will itch, and I try to scratch it, but not being able to feel what you’re
scratching will draw blood quickly. To this day, I have no idea how I can feel the itch and
not the scratch. It’s so weird. Also, some of my toes on the left side are numb as well. It has been challenging, but I’m alive blessed and unstoppable! God must have other plans for me, and I’m so
grateful my life is in His hands.

I obtained some of my songwriting skills in my coma. It's like something inside of me was awakened with a powerful talent to write great songs that i've never had before, which I cannot explain either.

I wrote a song about what I went through and how blessed I am to be here with my family and all my friends. I love you all.

Maybe one day I will be able to tell the whole story about all the nightmares
while in a coma, but as of now I just try to forget it and focus on moving forward. Please
keep this in mind, I am not a professional songwriter with years behind my back. I’m just
a guy who writes songs from a dream that became reality.