hit counter html code

End of life nurse reveals one move people make when close to death

Working in end-of-life care can be filled with moments of profound sadness, but also ones of quiet wonder. One hospice nurse has shared an experience she’s witnessed time and again in her work with the dying: a simple yet mysterious gesture many patients make just before they pass.

Katie Duncan, a nurse practitioner and “death care coach” from Maryland, has spent years helping people find peace and dignity at the end of their lives. With experience across intensive care units, home hospices, and long-term care settings, she’s observed a pattern she finds both inexplicable and deeply moving.

In a recent TikTok video, Katie described what she calls one of the “mystical” parts of the dying process: many patients begin reaching upwards, as if trying to grasp something unseen above them.

“In my experience, it’s very common,” she said in the video. “You’ll literally see someone reach up, like they’re trying to hold someone’s hand or touch something in the air.”

Sometimes, this gesture is accompanied by what are known as end-of-life visions. “People often say they’re seeing someone, a loved one, a pet, even an angel or a bright light,” Katie explained. “Other times, they don’t speak at all, but still reach up, as if sensing a presence.”

While there’s no scientific explanation for this phenomenon, many in palliative care consider it a peaceful part of the transition. Importantly, Katie noted, patients typically don’t appear to be in distress when it happens. “If anything, they seem comforted,” she said. “These visions, whatever their origin, often bring people a deep sense of calm.”

She added: “It’s one of the more mysterious aspects of death that we’re lucky enough to witness as caregivers. It’s humbling.”

Katie’s video struck a chord online, with many commenters sharing their own powerful memories.

“My dad reached up with both arms,” one person wrote. “Before that, he hadn’t been able to lift them at all.”

Another commented: “It’s the in-between. What a privilege to witness.”

Others echoed the sentiment: “It’s heaven they’re reaching for,” wrote one. “I didn’t want to disturb him, it felt sacred,” said another.

For many families and caregivers, these gestures serve as quiet reassurance that their loved one is at peace, gently guided by something, or someone, just out of sight.

F

Related Posts

My Aunt Tried to Take My Brother from Me — But I Knew Her Real Motives

The day after I b*ried my parents, I truly became an adult. Not because I turned eighteen, but because someone tried to take away the only family…

Trump’s Letter to Prime Minister Sparks Outrage Online—’Did a Fifth Grader Write This?’

The United States finds itself at the center of an unprecedented diplomatic and communication crisis as President Donald Trump’s official correspondence with international leaders has drawn widespread…

Woman on Welfare Raising 10 Children by 5 Fathers Shares Her One Remaining Goal

Note: we are republishing this story, which originally made the news in May 2015. Mandy Cowie’s Bold Goal: 50 Grandkids and Lifelong Welfare Mandy Cowie, a 49-year-old…

Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe’s, who played the role of Precious, road to fame

You call it luck, or you call it hard work and determination, actress Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe, like most of the Hollywood celebrities, perhaps needed both when she…

A new picture of Heidi Klum with her rarely seen boys, Henry and Johan, is creating buzz on the internet

Heidi Klum’s Rare Family Moment Sparks Online Buzz After fans swooned over one of Heidi Klum’s sons at the AMAs, a recent photo of both Henry and…

BREAKING: One of the Largest ICE Raids in Los Angeles County History Is Happening NOW

Los Angeles is ground zero for a federal crackdown today, as hundreds of ICE agents, Border Patrol units on horseback, and military personnel flood MacArthur Park —…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *