'I nearly died seven times and there was no bright light or tunnel'

A woman who miraculously survived seven life-threatening ordeals, including a mini-stroke and cancer, has revealed she experienced no bright light or tunnel during her brushes with death. Shona Hirons, a former lawyer turned behaviour, fitness and nutrition coach from Portishead, Somerset, has faced a mini-stroke, a hole in the heart, a near-fatal bike accident, cancer, Covid, pneumonia, and bacterial meningitis.

Despite once being in a coma with brain swelling, Shona asserts that these harrowing experiences have eradicated her fear of dying and claims to be the happiest she's ever been. She believes her close encounters with death have imparted a profound "lesson" about life.

Reflecting on her journey, Shona said: "I'm no longer fearful of death. Two years after my bike accident, I was diagnosed with cancer and just knew somehow that it wasn't going to kill me."

Many people often claim they see bright lights or tunnels when they "die", but Shona said she didn't see a thing.

She elaborated: "I haven't had any out-of-body experiences [during any of my near-misses]. I guess I realised I was in a dark place at the time, so that didn't help."

"I don't have any recollection of me being in the coma and after, I didn't even feel scared of the surgery. I think these events have been the best things that have ever happened to me."

Shona says her near-death experiences have "completely changed her mindset". They even prompted her to switch careers, ditching the legal profession for coaching.

She added: "I'm much more of a positive and confident person these days. It's taught me to love life and be kind to myself everyday – something I truly struggled with before."

Shona, now in her early 50s, recalls the extreme stress and burnout she experienced in her younger years, including suffering a mini-stroke at just 22.

It wasn't until a decade later that a hole in her heart was discovered, necessitating open heart surgery. Post-recovery, Shona took up cycling to stave off health issues.

However, disaster struck in 2017 when she was involved in a near-fatal cycling accident. Shona recounted: "My front wheel suddenly hit a puddle on the road.

"I went flying over the handle bars and my face landed on a broken piece of kerb. I fell unconscious and at hospital, I was placed into an induced coma due to swelling on my brain."

Waking up two weeks later, Shona was initially unaware of the severity of her injuries, recalling: "When I woke up two weeks later, I thought I had just broken my finger, so I didn't understand what all the fuss was about."

Following the accident, Shona faced major facial reconstruction surgery after shattering her cheekbone and breaking all the bones in her left orbital area, with doctors giving her only a 20 per cent chance of survival.

Her ordeal continued as she was diagnosed with uterine cancer two years after the accident, which she describes as a "big wake up call" to her feeling "burnt out".

Reflecting on her past, she expressed: "I was working 80-hour weeks and felt like it was my job to do everything, both at work and at home. It made me reflect and I realised I had been given another chance at life.

"[So] my mindset was in a good place [when I was told I had cancer]. I remember my consultant telling me that it may have been caused by the amount of stress and trauma I'd been through.

"I guess we'll never know for sure. I took one day at a time, underwent treatment and surgery and was lucky I got the all-clear eight months later."

The resilient mother-of-one faced another harrowing ordeal in 2024 when she fell ill with Covid. The virus rapidly escalated, leading to pneumonia and bacterial meningitis complications.

Yet, despite her close encounters with mortality, Shona simply sees these events as "life taking its course". She elaborated: "[When I got sick last year], I didn't feel like life was punishing me, I actually thought it was quite funny.

"For once, I was no longer in victim mode wondering why so many bad things were happening to me. It was just life taking its course.

"I'm not fearful of anything anymore. My family joke about wrapping me in bubble wrap but I'm determined to keep living my best life and make the most of it, as none of us know when our time is up.

"I prioritise my health, because if you don't make time for your health, sooner or later, you'll most likely have to make time for illness."