Hospice Nurses Share Stories of Patients Seeing Loved Ones Right Before the End

Death is a scary subject, but many patients report seeing someone they love right before they die. They may see a lost relative or one of their parents as they leave this world behind. Nurses watch patients make this transition all the time. It’s an intimate moment that many providers never forget. Here’s what they had to say:

I walked into a room and found a patient crying and asked him if he was ok. He said he was just talking on the phone to one of his son’s best mates who was now like a son to him since his son had died 18 months ago. I held his hand and offered my condolences and he looked up into my eyes and said he had seen his son during his surgery. He was sitting on rocks by the beach house they had and told his father how much he loved him and that he was ok and happy now. The man told me, ‘It was not a dream, it was real.’ 

I then investigated his surgery and found that during his open-heart operation he had died and required resuscitation!

Leanne  

My patient saw people she didn’t know standing around her bed. She described them as ‘just calmly waiting there for her’. She passed within the hour.

Dawn

Too many to count! I have seen people have full conversations with a deceased loved one! They talk to their mom, dad, grandma, grandpa. I remember 1 lady would tell me, “Do you see that angel up there?” as she pointed to the ceiling. She said she saw beautiful white lights and flowing blue water and the angel had a long white dress on. I told her I saw it too (of course I didn’t). She passed away 2 days later. I know that had to be a beautiful image to her.

Jennifer

My daughter who is very medically fragile and has had multiple near-death experiences tells me that my parents (both deceased) are here with her everyday waiting to take her to heaven with them when it is time for her to go. She also told me that she has met Jesus and that heaven is purple, yellow, and green.

Cheryl

I was caring for a man riddled with cancer. He said he spoke to his son and reconciled with him. They had been estranged for decades.

Jean

The day before my grandfather passed away, he kept saying, “They wouldn’t let him on the bus and that mom (my grandmother’s mother) was waiting” to meet him after he got on. My grandfather was 92 when he passed, his mother-in-law passed decades before.

Eight years later, I’m an ICU nurse working on a Covid floor, and my patient told me about “the bus” … Literal goosebumps on my skin.

Tiffany

I was speaking with a 54-year-old gentleman, and he explained it to me as if a movie were playing in his head. He said he was having conversations with his cousin, a grandparent, and a recently deceased friend. I asked him what they would tell him, and he said they all had the same message: “It’s not your time.” 

This was Monday. He died this morning at 12:53. Monday he said the colors weren’t as vibrant as they were last week. They were more dull, still vibrant, but were less bright. I’ve never had someone so coherently tell me what they’re experiencing through this transition. I only had him for 2 weeks, but he’ll forever hold a special place in my heart ?

Lauren

I took care of a little German lady. She had lived through WW2, and had a super thick German accent. She’d lost all her family in concentration camps. She’d tell me stories of her childhood, her marriage to an American soldier. She was over 100. When she was nearing her time to leave this earth, she saw her mama and papa. They were patiently waiting for her. She was a gem… ?

Cindi

I’m a hospice nurse. Several years ago, I had a young lady for well over a year with breast cancer, in her 40’s. For the last 2 months of her life, she would tell me and her husband that her mom who had passed and brother who committed suicide would sit next to her bed and tell her how beautiful heaven is and they couldn’t wait until she could join them. She was very alert. It was amazing! 

There is definitely life after death! I have many stories but this one stands out the most.

Robin

I had an elderly patient who started signing as he was close to dying. Both of his parents were deaf.

Missy

One lady told me she had seen her husband, (he predeceased her by a number of years). And he told her he would pick her up the next day, and they were going on a picnic.

She wanted to make sure she had on certain clothes, hair and makeup done before noon. She was very excited the next day, we did everything she wanted. She was so excited. She passed away that afternoon, with a smile on her face. He had come to get her. ❤

Sande

My best story is a catholic priest who had been unresponsive for days, out of nowhere sat up and said, “Jesus, you are real!!!” Laid back down, took his last breath and died! Still gives me chills!!! I am not religious but spiritual and for that reason I am so not afraid to die.

Koren

We also have a little boy at work ?‍♀️ no idea who he is but the Residents all talk about him… so far, I’m 5 years in and he’s always around… the only strange part is we are and always have been a home for the elderly.

Grace

Death doesn’t seem so lonely when your loved ones are beckoning you to the other side. Thanks to everyone who shared online.

These responses have been edited for length and clarity.