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Emotional Last Words Heard By Medical Staff From Patients On Their Deathbeds (21 Moments)
Article created by: Monika Pašukonytė
The final moments of life often carry immense weight and significance. For those working in the medical field, these moments can be particularly moving and, at times, haunting. The words spoken by patients in their last breaths can leave a lasting impact on the healthcare providers or family members who witness them. These words can be reflective, regretful, or even chilling, resonating deeply with those who hear them.
Recently, a thread appeared in the AskReddit community, where netizens shared some of the most emotional last words they have heard from dying people. As of today, the thread has collected 14K upvotes and almost 4k comments, revealing a variety of touching experiences from the front lines of healthcare.
More info: Reddit
- Read More: Emotional Last Words Heard By Medical Staff From Patients On Their Deathbeds (30 Moments)
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#1
Never really had any scary ones. Most of my work has been in cancer, and so they've either died in a relatively comfortable manner with palliative care or they've tended to go pretty suddenly.
My favourite was a chap who was unresponsive for a few days, woke up suddenly and asked for a Cornetto (ice cream, not a croissant). A nurse popped to the shops and got him one, he ate it, and then closed his eyes and died. Dude just had to get one last cornetto in. Legend.
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#2
A few stay with me. (Paramedic for context.)
“I think I’m going to die.”
It’s happened on more than one occasion where a patient directly tells me they are going to die and seconds later go into cardiac arrest. It’s so common that ‘a sense of impending doom’ is a legitimate symptom.
“Don’t let me die”
He arrested as we arrived at the hospital. They didn’t get pulses back. Stable on scene but declined rapidly during transport. That family had no way to know that was the last time they’d see him alive.
Me: “I’ll see you again!”
Her, smiling: “No you won’t.”
Hospice patient I had transported many times before. First name basis. We always said we would see each other again after I dropped her off. That time she replied with a simple “no you won’t”. It was the last time I ever saw her. Some people just know.
That’s what is so sacred about the medical field, really. We have this image of giving our last words to friends or family. However for many of us our last words will be delivered to the ears of a complete stranger. In those last moments I’ll be whatever you need me to be. Your child, your spouse, your friend. Whatever you say will be heard, and carried with me to the end.
#3
Not a scary moment, but a beautiful one:
I held the hand of my best friend who had metastasized breast cancer. When I kissed her cheek goodbye she had tears in her eyes and wouldn’t let go of my hand. I said “I’ll see you tomorrow, don’t be sad!” And while still clenching my hand she said through her tears “I love you, don’t you ever forget it.” She closed her eyes right then and there and passed away after her 9 year battle with cancer.
#4
When I was 11 years old, going to school friends birthday party, saw a motorcycle rider wrap himself around a telephone pole. My dad, a Vietnam vet (3x tours), got out of our Surburban, held his hand. Prayed. Then told the man he would die. Not to be afraid. Think of his loved ones. Remember how strong they know he is. To die knowing he is loved. He is on his way to his next journey. He had a well fulfilled life of love and happiness.... my dad never met the rider. The rider believed every word. His last words were bubbles...
#5
I have done hospice work, home health care, and worked in a nursing home. The best one was in a nursing home with an elderly man. We knew it was coming soon, but he has no family, so we were taking turns just being with him. He opened his eyes and smiled and said, “It’s such a lovey day. Don’t let this spoil it.” It really was a perfect Spring day; he passed about five minutes later.
The saddest was a lady in hospice care. She kept saying, “Not until they’re all here! Not until they’re all here!” The family finally admitted she had a son that she had disowned many years prior. They tried to locate him, but weren’t successful. She died crying for her boy.
#6
“Did you turn off the lights?”
Me: “no, the lights are still on.”
“That’s not funny. It’s really not fu-oh.”
I spent over 30 days in and out of the hospital in 2018 for a medical issue I had. Most of the time I had to share a room. In one room, I was with this guy in his late 50s there for some kind of serious pneumonia with complications. He was morbidly obese and had diabetes and some other health issues. We were sitting there watching jeopardy, when he said the above. As soon as he said “oh” he kinda started having trouble breathing, some gasping, a bunch of alarms went off and then out of nowhere half a dozen doctors and nurses and such were in the room. Somebody wheeled my bed out to another room. I found out later he’d died of a massive heart attack. I don’t know why he thought everything went black first. The doctor didn’t know either though she had some ideas. The head nurse, this tiny Filipina lady, said “he was dying. You don’t die all at once. Some parts die first.”
I think about that a lot. I don’t know if she’s right or not or if she meant it to be deeper than that, probably not. But “you don’t die all at once” sticks with me now.
#8
My grandpa’s brother’s last words were “I’m at the gate but they won’t let me in yet”. He was deeply religious, so I hope seeing those gates brought him peace.
#9
“Help me, I have four kids. Help me. Don’t let me die. Please don’t let me die.”
Edit: this was a Covid patient during the beginning of Covid before we intubated her.
#10
I have worked in the medical field for almost 20 years but the one with most impact was from my grandma. She told me my grandpa was waiting for her, she wanted to be him but most of all she was tired of seeing me so tired and not having a life anymore (for context, I had to quit working and put my life on hold for over 2 years to take of her full time). So she asked for a DNR. I signed and she became unconscious shortly and subsequently passed.
#11
One patient of my mom's was an elderly man at the ER who was cursing out his wife with the final gasps of breath he could muster. His words were incoherent but you could feel they were full of anger.
We later found out he was poisoned, and the wife was likely the culprit due to an insurance fraud case.
#12
I work as a paramedic. I had a single motorcycle crash into an electric box by a stop light. He smashed it and ended up into the wood line in a forest preserve. He was injured but not that badly. We ran it as a traumatic accident and transported to a nearby trauma center. He was awake and talking en route. As we pulled into the hospital he grabbed my hand and said “I see the light I’m dying right now.” I tried to re assure him but by the time he got into the ER he had died. The ER doc screamed at us for not having him intubated and so on. I told the doctor what happened and he immediately apologized.
#13
Wasn’t his last word, because technically he couldn’t speak. But couple days before he passed, my dad was in the hospital on a ventilator, and he wasn’t getting better. We gave him his options, which neither were good, pretty much long term care on a ventilator, or hospice, and he wrote “I thought I had more time”. That broke me.
#14
Something light hearted to share. I work in retail pharmacy and called one of our regular patients to tell him his meds (monthly pick up) are ready for pick up. He managed to answer his cellphone and told me he’s dying and currently at a hospice then he thanked me for always preparing his meds for him. I said you’re welcome and hang up on phone. A few weeks later… he showed up at our pharmacy to pick up. I had to ask my coworkers if they are also seeing what I’m seeing. Hahaha! That was 5 years ago. Wonder if he’s still alive….
#15
Had a guy one time tell me “in about an hour and a half I’m gonna quit” proceeded to code multiple times…. Ended up pronouncing him at about an hour and a half later. I think those who are alert and are going to die know it’s coming.
#16
I work in palliative care, so have seen a lot of deaths - most of them have been very peaceful, people are not usually conscious for the last few days - like they're asleep all the time. One that sticks out for me is a man getting the last rites, and just as the priest finished, there was an almighty boom and thunderclap and all of the lights in the hospice went out for a few seconds. The patient died minutes later.
#17
Not a healthcare worker but I was at work and a guy had a heart attack. He fell over and was having some spasms and he said" I am going to die at work " he was gone before the ambulance got there and he passed on the shop floor with a wrench in his hand.
#18
This isn't really "scary" in the way you're asking, but when I was an intern (20+ years ago now), I was discharging a patient I had a connection with from the hospital to hospice with terminal cancer. This dude had nobody in his life. I told him I'd come visit him, and his last words to me were "no you won't." But I actually did, maybe 3 weeks later. I went to the hospice house, and he had already passed away. I was wrecked. But it made me realize how fast things can change, and the impact of my last words to this dying man scared me and stuck with me.
#19
My wife, about 10 hours before she died of stomach cancer that had metastasized to her lungs and was suffocating her.
"No more!"
They put her on benzos after that and she spent the last hours unconscious.
#20
Its quite common, It would have to be elderly dying patients crying out and asking for their mama. .
#21
Maybe the scariest thing is that a lot of people don’t get a dignified “last word” like most of the time it’s traumatic and they don’t even get to speak before it happens.
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