Talk to Me by Allison DuBois Page A

through, ask her about Irelynn. Tell her Papa misses her. Ask her if she misses me.’
    I was asleep at the time, but that afternoon Dad told me how he’d tried so hard to get through to the radio station. So that night I went to work and looked up Allison’s website. I knew nothing about her or the show Medium . I went directly to the link for ‘conventions’ and when they were taking place. There was a seminar on the next night but it was sold out, and even though I signed up to be on the waiting list, not surprisingly I never got a call.
    I really wanted to attend one of Allison’s seminars—and, of course, to talk to Irelynn. So I thought hard about it, and decided to book a ticket for her next event in Houston, Texas, then organised my plane ticket and accommodation.
    On 17 February 2010 I boarded the plane for Houston, sat down, looked out my window and began to pray that Irelynn would come through. ‘Well, Irelynn,’ I said, ‘here we go on another plane ride. You love planes, huh?’
    I arrived in Houston, and filled in time while waiting for the event to start. When there was about fifteen minutes to go, I prayed again. I put Irelynn’s soft toy ‘Mr B’ in my handbag, kissed my daughter’s photo and told her I loved her, and headed to the venue.
    When I signed in, Mark, Allison’s manager, explained that those who purchased VIP tickets to sit in the front rows would have a chance to meet Allison personally. I remember walking up to Allison, asking her to sign my badge and saying, ‘I’m sorry but I really don’t know what to say.’ I admit that back then I hardly knew who she was or what she was about. I guess I was there for one reason, and one reason only—to talk to my baby again.
    She kindly replied, ‘It’s okay, I’m not going to pick you apart.’
    At the start of the seminar Allison explained to the crowd what she did and what to expect. She said that she would focus on murders first, and then it was going to be an open forum. I listened with amazement to other people’s readings but in the meantime, I kept saying to myself, ‘Irelynn, please come talk to Mummy. God, please let her talk to me.’
    When Allison opened up the seminar and asked anyone in the audience who wanted a reading to raise their hands, I put up my hand along with just about everyone else. I worried that I may not get an opportunity to hear from Irelynn, with so many people having the same hope and intention that I had. As fate would have it, I did. Mark was on the other side of the room looking at the raised hands. I was still silently talking to Irelynn. He came over to me and said, ‘I’m not sure what it is about you, but when I was sitting over there in my chair, I was feeling this really strong energy coming from you. Would you like to join Allison on the stage?’
    I was surprised but grateful as I walked up to the stage and sat next to Allison. She asked, ‘What is your name and the relation to the person you lost?’
    â€˜Jennifer,’ I replied. ‘I lost my daughter.’
    Allison started our session and put me at ease when she giggled and said, ‘She’s cute; she’s hiding behind people so I have to find her.’ She then asked how old my daughter was and explained to the crowd why she asked this question: ‘It’s sometimes hard to connect with a child at a really young age because they can be a little confused about what’s going on.’
    I informed her that my daughter was four years old.
    One of the first things Irelynn told Allison was, ‘Mummy cried a lot.’
    And, yes, as I have shared with you, I did.
    â€˜She’s making my lungs hurt,’ Allison said. ‘Did her chest hurt in the time surrounding her death?’
    I thought back to the doctor working on Irelynn’s chest trying to resuscitate her when her heart stopped and the trauma it