DEATH is usually only associated with sadness and darkness.
But, a hospice nurse has reminded people that the end of life can also be beautiful.
Julie McFadden has reminded people that the end of life can also be beautiful
Talking to TikTok nurse Julie McFadden, who has witnessed ‘thousands of deaths’, revealed why dying should be celebrated.
She recalled a time when she witnessed the death of man in his 50s.
“It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced,” she said.
“When you’re removed from the grief – like I was – you can see though the sadness.
“Instead, what I saw was love,” she explained.
During the man’s death, his wife had her head on his chest and was speaking sweet nothings into his ear, she explained.
“And his parents were there, rubbing his head and everyone was just around him saying wonderful loving things and supporting this man as he took his last breath on earth.
“You could feel the love,” Julie said.
“I don’t usually cry in the house but I went to my car and wept.
“And it wasn’t tears of sadness but tears of love and joy because it was so beautiful,” the nurse added.
The nurse compared the experience to the feeling she gets when she witnesses babies being born.
“When babies are born, I can weep from the beauty of it and when someone takes their last breath I can weep from the beauty of it,” she said.
What really happens during death
In another clip posted to TikTok, nurse Julie revealed what it’s really like when you’re dying.
She said the first thing people need to know, that when it comes to end of life care, people start to sleep way more than usual.
“Like 18 to 20 hours a day.
“Almost everybody will start decreasing food and water, and by the actively dying phase, which is around a few hours to a few days, they wont be taking any food or water in.
“I’d say more than half start seeing dead relatives, dead loved ones, dead pets.”
She added that this isn’t scary to them and is actually comforting.
Nurse Julie said that around one third of patients will also experience the ‘rally or the surge’.
“This is where they get a surge of energy before they die.
“During the actively dying stage, patients will have changes in breathing, changes in skin colour and changes in temperature.
“They usually have their mouths open and their eyes open but not making eye contact,” she added.