Katie Duncan is a nurse practitioner and “death care coach” from Maryland who has worked with people in their last moments for many years. She has worked in acute care units, home hospices, and long-term care facilities, and she has discovered a strange trend that she can’t explain and that moves her deeply. As they get closer to death, many patients start to reach up, as if they are attempting to grab something they can’t see above them.
This gesture, which is typically seen with images of the end of life, is popular in palliative care. Some patients may say they see loved ones, dogs, angels, or dazzling lights, while others may just reach up without saying anything. Katie says that these visions make the patients feel quite calm and at ease, and they don’t seem to be in any pain.
Katie’s observations have made her internet fans feel curious and amazed. Many people have talked about their own experiences and said that the gesture was a privilege to see and a comforting indicator that their loved one is at peace. Some people have even said that the sufferers are reaching for heaven or a higher spiritual world.
There isn’t a scientific explanation for this, but it’s evident that it means a lot to the people who see it emotionally and spiritually. Katie says that it’s a humbling experience that lets carers see some of the secrets of dying. Katie wants to help people understand the dying process better and find peace in the face of death by sharing her thoughts.
