Watch: Goldie Hawn Opens up About Her Son's Near Death Experience

05/12/2017 10:32 am EDT

Actress, Goldie Hawn is opening up about an extremely painful chapter in her life when son, Oliver Hudson, nearly died a day after he was born due to complications.

In PEOPLE's new cover story, the 71-year-old star shared one of the more heartbreaking stories from her past revolving around her son who was suffering from toxemia. Hawn, who was then married to musician and second husband, Bill Hudson, recalls being wheeled up to the ICU to see her struggling newborn.

With tears in her eyes, Hawn tells people, he was "beautiful."

"Eleven pounds of a hunk of love," she said. "I stood up and I just connected to the universe. I put my hand on him, and I asked God, I said, 'Come through me, use me to heal my son.'"

MORE: Watch: Amy Schumer's Ailing Father Meets 'Love of His Life' Goldie Hawn and We're Emotional Too

In what might have been a miracle in that moment, Hawn reveals she watched his heart rate go up in that instant.

"I don't think there's any question that prayer can work. I'm a very spiritual person," she said. "I'm not a religious person, although I was raised Jewish and I like my tribe, but that was a beautiful thing. It was phenomenal. I just emptied myself. I don't know how to explain it."

Today, Oliver, 40, is an actor and father of three, to which Hawn calls the "greatest, most handsome, amazing father, actor, comedian, human, son."

Hawn, who is also the mother to Kate Hudson, 38, and actor Wyatt Russell, 30, saying, "They're all gifts, all my children."

[H/T Instagram / @phoebeweeks, Getty / Jon Kopaloff]

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