My first experience with death I was in grade 12. My mom called me when I was standing outside of school with my friends. She told me my family friend had past. I started crying. It seemed insane that someone could just leave like that forever. I
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My grandfather. I lost him 2 years ago. I want to say thanks that you called me one day before you died and talked to me. I could not be with you and take your hands at that day because of the distance, but I still have your
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The last time I saw my grandpa. It was about a year before he passed away. He lived in Hong Kong at the time. Staying at a senior home. I was visiting him with my parents, having come all the way from Toronto. He had dementia. He
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I had a patient on our palliative care unit who was completely comfortable and it was the last few minutes of her life. It was late at night and just me and her daughter there. My “medical” nursing role was done and I was able to just
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Sitting with a family as they sat around the bed of their mom/wife/sister/grandmother/aunt. I was in awe of this family — all present and yet so scared, sad and angry. I could feel their love for my patient and yet so much stress in the room. I
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A wonderful, brilliant, vibrant, complex man who left the hospital with a 3 week prognosis to survive 2 years. In those years he made memories for his family that were so rich. He taught me so much about the power of mind and positive thinking. “Change your
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Le fait d’avoir accompagné ma mère dans sa fin de vie, et ce, pendant plusieurs mois, a marqué deprintivement ma pratique clincique, goitant las dimension sacrée du temps de l’space et de la presénce… The fact of having accompanied my mother during her end of life journey
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I remember sharing the final moments of a young women’s life with the family. As they let her go, and they let go. Seeing the incredible amount of love and how at this time the family crisis and misgivings about each other fell away and it was
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All the clients I have cared for in their final months, days and hours! I remember every client who I had the privilege of caring for at the end of their life. Some I was along with, holding their hand, some had family and loved ones present
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One last words of a child at the palliative center for kids “lighthouse” said to me and his family before passing away. “Oh la! La Vie” This powerful sentence in which he said it loud and clear was his last words. This word changed everything in my
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