Fifth Chunk of The Namesake

As Lahiri continues to write the life of Gogol who successfully before a judge has changed his name to Nikhil Ganguli. Then he is off to college, wanting to stray awayfrom home he left to New Haven, and once he is there a a new school, new bed, new room, new roommates, new teachers, new buildings, and even ne name h begins eberything new and wth a little bi of hope. He feels strange at fist being called Nikhil, but eventually gets used to it and is happy that he i no being called Gogol after a while. Though throughout the time he was in the University he met his first love Ruth whom sadly after 2 wondeful years of being togther they end up separated for Ruth one year studied abroad and even in the summer, but when she returned things were different between the two of them and both realizing it wasn' worth it anymore they went their separte ways. It was that year after they broke up in the fall on his regualr trips back home to visit his dad, for his mom and sister have left for India, during Thanksgiving break that Nikhil finally after so many years learns the real reason of why he was name Gogol Ganguli.
Earlier on is his regular train ride the train had stopped and was delaye for about 1 hour and a half, this was because there was an accident. Someone had committed a suicide by jumping in front of the train and the whole hold up was the police coming and reporting the whle incident. Well when Nikhil brought up the subject the memory of Ashoke's almost deathe was revived and he finally had the strength to tell his son the real reason why he was named Gogol. He told him of that one fatal night that he would no longer have been Ashoke Ganguli.

Question: Have you've ever been in a near death experience that has changed or competely mark your life? If not do you think a near deat experience changes one for the better or how would tha incident change that person's life? or does it even change or mean anything?