A new episode of Hulu’s IMPACT x Nightline puts a spotlight on Gabby Mooney, a country singer and the sister of Dan + Shay‘s Shay Mooney, as she recounts a terrifying near-death experience she suffered in February 2023.
In fact, she says, she flatlined at the hospital — and had a powerful meeting with Jesus before her pulse was restored.
Mooney’s ordeal began on Valentine’s Day of that year, when she was driving home to visit family in Arkansas. She says that as she drove, she began having a horrible headache.
She white-knuckled her way home, hoping that a good night’s sleep would clear it up. But that night, her mother discovered her sick, and urged her to go to the hospital.
Ahead of the episode where she shares her story, Mooney sat down with ABC News’ Ashan Singh, sharing a snippet of what happened the night she almost died.
What Did Gabby Mooney Say About Her Near-Death Experience?
In the interview clip, Mooney explains that ambulances weren’t running due to “tornado weather” creating unsafe conditions in the area.
She says her parents called a private ambulance company to transport her to a hospital, and met them at a church near their home.
“I was having, apparently, multiple seizures in the ambulance,” she details.
Once she arrived at the hospital, her condition worsened.
Read More: 40 Country Singers Who Died Too Soon
“They were trying to intubate me, and I flatlined,” Mooney continues. “I died.”
During that time, she had a profound experience that she still remembers vividly to this day. In the video interview,Mooney raises out her hand — palm facing downward — to explain how Jesus’ presence calmed her rising spirit.
“It was just like, ‘Not yet.’ And I felt that, knowing it was not my time,” she recounts. “It was just this communication between me and the Father.”
But she also says that in that moment, she was ready to let go.
Read More: Country Stars Who Cheated Death
“It felt the most peaceful, incredible feeling I had ever felt in my life,” she admits. “I didn’t wanna come back.”
What Happened to Gabby Mooney?
- Mooney first shared her story a few months after the incident.
- She said she had a very large cyst on her brain.
- She also said she was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, is “the build-up of fluid in the cavities (ventricles) deep within the brain.”
- In Mooney’s case, it was nearly fatal.
Read More: Shay Mooney’s Sister Details Near-Fatal Brain Cyst, Emergency Surgery
Mooney had emergency brain surgery to address the issue.
In the months afterward, she experienced some facial paralysis as a result of the ordeal, which she said caused her to deal with some insecurity.
How to Watch the Nightline Episode on Gabby Mooney’s Story
Mooney’s story is part of an IMPACT x Nightline episode called “Back From the Dead.”
The episode was released on Thursday (Oct. 30) on Disney+ and Hulu, and is available to watch now.
Also on the show, Mooney debuted her new single, “Safe.”
Not all country stars came by their storytelling ability naturally. Sadly, many singers have encountered great tragedies in their lives, or have overcome sharp odds to get where they are today. Many have battled unbearable, unimaginable pain.