Wendy Saffel
Author of Never Really Left
Photo credit: Darrell Peterson
I have lived, loved, and lost. If you’ve made it to my website, this is probably just like you. Now I know I was blessed with profound experiences and influences that hurled me down a path of inquiry after my twenty-year-old son, Hugh, died from fentanyl poisoning. My experiences and learnings on this journey have landed me squarely on the side of hope—and, dare I say, even joy, which can coexist with grief. I hope you will journey with me in Never Really Left, as I come to know—not just believe—that our loved ones are still right here.
Faced with an incomprehensible loss, one mother’s experiences forced her to reconsider everything she thought she knew about life and death—and open her heart to a new reality.
Coming October 2025
Available for preorder
“For anyone who has lost someone dear, this is the book you need to pick up.”
—Marie Manuchehri, RN, author of Intuitive Self-Healing and How to Communicate with Your Spirit Guides
“Packed with insights, the journey of a mother who is afforded unusual opportunities to experience her son in a different way . . . is a powerful saga.”
—Midwest Book Review
“In Never Really Left, Wendy offers tools to recognize the signs our loved ones send us, navigate the grieving process, and embrace a life of healing, gratitude, and renewed purpose.”
—Elizabeth Boisson, president and cofounder, Helping Parents Heal, Inc.
“I absolutely recommend this book to anyone seeking a guide through the process of the loss of a loved one and those curious to answer the question: Are my loved ones still with me, and do they go on?”
—Michael Mayo, medium, teacher, author, and founder of The Oakbridge Institute