Hospice nurse reveals the moment that changed the way she viewed death and why she no longer fears it
Topics: Health, Life, YouTube, Social Media
Lucy Devine
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Halfpoint Images
Topics: Health, Life, YouTube, Social Media
A hospice nurse has revealed the moment that changed the way she thinks about death.
Julie McFadden - who goes by Hospice Nurse Julie on YouTube - has spent years working with people in their final moments.
She regularly shares videos online to answer questions and dispel myths about death and end-of-life care.
Julie helps inform people about death through videos shared on social media as well as in her book, Nothing To Fear, touching on topics such as the 'death rattle' and what kind of things patients might go through in their last moments.
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In a recent video, while appearing on the Mighty Pursuit Podcast, Julie explained the moment she changed her views on death.
Sitting down with Matthew Thompson, Julie explained that she had been caring for one patient who she believed would pass away that day.
"He would talk to me about how he was afraid to die," said Julie.
"We all grew super close to this guy. When he was getting close to his death, we did have a nurse in there 24 hours a day caring for him.
"On the last day I could tell he would die that day, I could tell by how he was breathing... before I left I said my goodbyes to him in my head.
"I was walking out of his apartment... I'm in my car getting ready to go see my next patient and I thought, no I'm going to wait, I need to give more respect to Randy.
"I'm talking to him in my head, wishing him the best journey and all of a sudden I heard Randy's voice in my head."
Julie explained that she heard Randy say 'if only I had known'.
"'Oh my gosh Julie, oh my gosh'... Not only did I hear his voices, I could feel how he was feeling and I could almost see him soaring like he was happy.
"'Oh my gosh Julie, if only would have known how good this was I would never have been afraid'.
"The feeling was he was so free, so joyful... I knew all his life all he wanted was to be free, he always talked about how he never felt free."
Julie became emotional recalling the story, adding: "I couldn't help but cry in my car."
Moments later, Julie looked at her phone and she had received a message to tell her that Randy had passed away.
"I've never experienced something like that," she explained.
"...It made me feel so not scared of death."