One evening, I was surprised to receive a phone call from the well-known psychic medium John Edward. I’d met him once before at an event he did in Boston. He’d heard that I was there, and he’d called me up onto the stage and introduced me to the audience. Of course, I was a bag of nerves walking onto that stage, waving my arms up and down and bowing to him jokingly. So that night when he called, he said that he was thinking about putting together an event in Las Vegas, and asked if I was interested in taking part.

I was excited, nervous, and anxious all at the same time, as it was the next big leap of faith in myself. I knew this was my test to see if I could take my mediumship to the next level. The weeks flew by, and before I knew it, I found myself touching down over the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip.

I got to the convention center and was informed that I’d be going on second. I was relieved that I was not going to be the first one onstage the next morning. I sat in my hotel room for a while, thinking how much I wanted to be the very best I could, and I hoped that my guides would be there to assist me. I knew they would be, but also I knew that if I allowed my nerves and fear to take control, they could potentially paralyze spirit communication.

The next morning I was searching for something to inspire me and to lift my soul as well as those of the 2,000-member audience. It’s always the medium’s job to maintain the energy in a demonstration. If you can get the energy and inspiration up, then the messages from the Other-Side flow with clarity and precision.

As I sat there in the greenroom, I started to receive information in a series of images. In my mind’s eye, I saw what seemed to be a piece of paper being furiously folded. Were they trying to show me a paper plane, a paper toy, or was it just a cutout doll? I was just about to walk onstage, so I tried to interpret what I was receiving as quickly as I could. It finally turned into a beautiful origami swan. (Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper into shapes.) I knew immediately that this was the link.

Suddenly I heard John Edward announcing me, and I was on. Putting any fears behind me, I strode confidently onstage and gazed out at the audience. The atmosphere was electric as I gave a short talk about myself, how I work, and what people could expect, as well as what not to expect. I could feel my energy rising, and conscious that I had less than an hour left, I couldn’t wait any longer. The image of the origami swan jumped back into my mind, and at that very moment, I felt a young boy draw close. I knew immediately that this swan was the link to his family. I could feel myself being pulled to the top balcony, so I raised my hand and said, “I have a boy here calling out to his family. He’s so excited to be here and wants to talk to his mom! Would someone in that area understand an origami swan?”

Almost before I’d finished speaking, a woman stood up, frantically waving her hands back and forth and yelling, “Up here, John, I think it’s for me!”

I always make sure people are not reaching for the message, so I asked her, “So you lost a son?”

“Yes!” she cried out.

“Then you understand the origami swan,” I asked her.

To an almost silent audience, she told how her son had suddenly died a few years earlier, and how a friend had given her an origami swan in remembrance of him. She’d even brought the little folded swan to the event and had it in her wallet. All eyes were focused on her as she reached in and revealed the beautiful paper swan. You could feel the love that was being sent to her at that moment from each and every person in that audience.

Later, I found out that in the Celtic tradition, a swan symbolizes the soul — the aspect of all beings that is eternal. I’ve since heard that the woman now receives these precious paper swans from people all the time, and every time she receives one, it’s like a hello from her son.

My soul was filled with energy that special day because I’d sought inspiration to help me raise my energy to meet those on the Other-Side. Spirit had infused me with its own love, enabling me to pass on hope to those people in Las Vegas. I wonder if John will ever know the kindness he showed me by asking me to be part of that event, joining him and the other mediums. This event boosted my confidence to continue my work as a spirit whisperer. Thank you, John Edward.