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Mary C (Hume) Neal, MD (born September 1958) is an American author, spinal surgeon, inspirational speaker, wife, mother, and beloved child of God. As a result of her near-drowning while kayaking on a South American river, she has authored two New York Times bestselling books, has been featured on a number of national television & radio programs and talk shows, and has been a sought-after inspirational speaker. On September 27, 2018, her book “To Heaven and Back” was the answer to a question on the television show Jeopardy.

Early Life and Education
Neal attended the University of Kentucky after being raised in Michigan with her three siblings. She attended the University of Kentucky prior to obtaining her medical doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles. She then completed an Orthopaedic Surgery residency a the University of Southern California, a Spinal Surgery Fellowship at the Sahlgrenska Hospital in Gothenberg, Sweden, an AO Fellowship in Chur, Switzerland, and a Spinal Surgery and Rehabilitation Fellowship at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital in Los Angeles, CA.

Medical Career
She served as an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics and Director of Spinal Surgery at the University of Southern California 1990-1996, after which she entered private practice in Jackson Hole, WY.

Writing Career
To Heaven and Back was published in 2011 (Circle 6 Publishing, 2011 and Waterbrook Multnomah 2012) and became a #1 New York Times bestseller. In this book, Neal writes about her drowning in a 1999 kayaking accident in Chile, and describes much of her extensive near death experience.

7 Lessons from Heaven (Convergent Books, 2017) and also became a New York Times bestseller. In this book, she expands on her own near death experience, shares the experiences of many other people, writes about what she learned and how it changed her life, and most importantly, how it can bring joy into the life of other people.

Philanthropy
She served on the Board of Elders of the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole and she co-founded the Willie Neal Environmental Awareness Fund with her family after the death of her oldest son.

Personal Life
Neal married William C. Neal on October 18, 1997. They have four children.