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Baseball Player Dies and Meets Family on the Other Side

Coming Home

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At 19, Bubba Herrick was a college pitcher heading in for Tommy John surgery — the routine rite of passage every young player counted on. Instead, an allergic reaction to the anesthesia stopped his heart on the operating table, and what followed was a 360° life review he felt not just from his own perspective, but from every character in it: his Vietnam-veteran grandfather, his brother, his father, and the childhood friend whose first-generation iPad quietly shaped the addictions he'd end up dying inside of. Full of regret, Bubba surrendered — and was shuttled into a place beyond time where he met Mike, the stepfather who'd passed a year earlier. Mike offered him a second chance on one condition: live out a great purpose he wouldn't be told the shape of, and be ready the next time he died. This is the story of Bubba's death, the deal that brought him back, and the seven-year unraveling that followed — losing baseball, breaking down physically, finding the near-death community, and eventually landing on what "great purpose" actually meant.

“I was supposed to be dead, but I felt more alive than I'd ever felt in my life” - Bubba Herrick

Connect with Bubba ⇨ https://www.bubbaherrick.com/
Read Bubba's book "Becoming Ready to Die" ⇨ https://a.co/d/06SbrLls

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Timestamps
00:00 - Cold Open: The Surgery That Killed Him — floating above the table, watching the flatline
02:15 - Meet Bubba: Tampa, Florida, youngest of four, chaotic household, a father he was afraid of
02:57 - Divorce and Hardship: Dad's infidelity, welfare, food stamps, and baseball as the only outlet
05:11 - Tommy John: A torn UCL and the rite-of-passage surgery every young pitcher wanted
06:42 - The Pit in His Stomach: The pre-op nurse's allergy question, and the warning he answered around
09:50 - Flatline: The room's confidence collapses and Bubba floats up out of his body
11:04 - The 360° Life Review: Every moment of his life, felt from every character's perspective
12:26 - Grandpa's Last Story: A Vietnam vet finally opens up — and a Snapchat notification pulls him away
19:07 - The First iPad: An 11-year-old's birthday party and the shape of the addictions to come
23:14 - Surrender: "God, I don't know if you're real, but whatever happens next is what happens"
25:00 - Mike, on the Other Side: The shiny bald head, the red beard, the basketball game recreated
26:20 - The Deal: A great purpose he isn't told the shape of — and be ready next time you die
34:38 - The Frozen Pizza: Four years later, Dylan hears the story and throws the old life in the trash
40:20 - Finding the Others: A YouTube ad, an Arizona conference, and the peace of not being alone
43:30 - Oak Trees Don't Try to Be Palm Trees: Purpose isn't a title — it's just being who you were made to be

20 Comments

@jamieseiple 2 weeks ago

My dad was an abusive monster who spent time in prison. Having a hard childhood, I didn't know what love was and ended up married to an abusive wife that also mistreated me. After years of therapy, I did finally leave that marriage, but the financial and emotional toll was devastating. Knowing that the next world is full of love brings comfort. I can't wait. 😇

@DebInLivingColor 2 weeks ago (edited)

His aura is absolutely captivating. What a beautiful and kind soul.

@lorikremer2709 2 weeks ago

This young man is so articulate, intelligent, and kind. His gift of sharing his purpose is absolutely beautiful.

@dekeskey 6 days ago

This video proves to me that there are so many good people out there in the world and that there is so much love. Thanks for this.

@AmbrosiaK 2 weeks ago

I love the part where Bubba says his ultimate purpose is to "Be himself" I felt my shoulders relax. Thank you for that teaching.

@grubbysprivatebar 2 weeks ago

What a great addition to what is already, imho, the best collection of NDE’s on YouTube.

@paigedwyer3119 13 days ago

This guy is a great speaker. Hardly any filler words. Amazing story

@nativechique7589 2 weeks ago (edited)

this is amazing. I lost my son a year ago, my oldest of 4. and now I know he is in heaven and he is no longer sick. this reminds me where home is. we will see each other again my boy
stay with Jesus tho.

@bernr2877 2 weeks ago

This was the best NDE stories I’ve listened to in a long time. Bubba’s calm, clear delivery made it particularly compelling. The two things that resonated with me was him observing his inner voice rather than identifying with it, and creating rather than consuming. Excellent episode.

@WhenHeavenWarns 2 weeks ago

I saw my mother after my heart stopped, and she was wearing the yellow sweater she always wore on Sunday mornings. I knew right away it was her. I didn't want to come back. I had been carrying so much since my little brother died, and honestly, I was tired of pretending I was okay. She didn't say much, just looked at me and somehow I knew I wasn't finished here. I woke up with a hospital bracelet stuck to my wrist and cried when I smelled coffee. My family still hurts. I still miss them every day. But I know Jesus was there.

@susanwedell7627 10 days ago

Living in abuse with my husband of 23 years, I was worn out. The physical abuse healed but my mental will never heal fully.
As a child I was raised by both parents that drank alcohol and never cared about me.
Now in my older years of 69, I had to bury my husband who took his life, then my daughter took her life.
I’m so worn out in life, I’m looking forward to the next life, in Heaven.

@pceofcake 2 weeks ago

wow Bubba's story was so captivating to listen to, thank you for having him on!

@mcc.o.4835 2 weeks ago

I've probably watched about 100 of these NDE interviews over the years and I think it's all starting to make some sense.
There's overlap what's being talked about here and what's in the Tibetan Book of the Dead and in the Bible.
We're only a temporary physical body and here on Earth to speed up our spiritual growth. Our true home is in the spirit world.

@strafe155 2 weeks ago

In the late 1970s, Sue Saunders was working at Hartford Hospital as a respiratory therapist. One day, she was helping to resuscitate a man in the emergency room, whose electrocardiogram had gone flat. Medics were shocking him repeatedly with no results while Saunders was trying to give him oxygen. In the middle of the resuscitation, someone else took over for her and she left. A few days later, she encountered this patient in the ICU. He spontaneously commented, “You looked so much better in your yellow top.” She was shocked at this remark, for she'd been wearing a yellow smock the previous day. “Yeah,” the man continued, “I saw you. You had something over your face and you were pushing air into me. And I saw your yellow smock.” Saunders confirmed that she'd worn something over her face – a mask – and that she'd worn the yellow smock while trying to give him oxygen, while he was unconscious and without a heartbeat.

@davelescalona2235 2 weeks ago (edited)

I’ve heard his story before in a couple of other NDE videos, but this interview goes much, much deeper. His account of the life review—especially experiencing events from other people’s perspectives—includes details I hadn’t heard him share before, and I found that part particularly fascinating. As always, another video knocked out of the park—pun intended. 😊

@ephermallove 2 weeks ago (edited)

Our purpose is to be authentic. Thank you for sharing, Bubba, and thank you, Coming Home, for giving him the platform to share.

@hvl5515 2 weeks ago

I am so greatful for these stories. They let us know that death is no problem and it tells us what is important in life here on earth. Thanks for sharing. And that is life purpose, becoming your true self. Not consuming but creating. Learning.