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End-of-life doctor reveals what people say right before death
Newsner Stories ^ | Sep 2025 | Himani Ediriweera

Posted on 09/09/2025 9:49:28 AM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?

After years at the bedside of dying patients, a hospice doctor noticed a striking pattern – when the end comes, people don’t cling to fear. In its place come final words that are quiet, powerful, and often shockingly unexpected.

While death is one of the most feared and least discussed parts of life, it is a moment of deep psychological transformation for many. Dr. Christopher Kerr, a palliative care physician with over two decades of experience at Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo, has studied more than 1,500 end-of-life events. His findings challenge our traditional understanding of dying – not as a void, but as a “unique vantage point” that “changes one’s perspective and perception.”

“It naturally draws you inward. There’s reflection, and often people focus on the best points of having lived and having mattered. And that’s usually our relationships,” said Dr. Kerr, who heads the research team on dreams and visions at the end of life.

Contrary to what many expect, the final days of life are not always filled with fear.

“We’ve all been harmed in one way or another for having lived, and we seem to get put back together through these experiences,” he told the Sun. “And so, the life you live gets validated, and inversely, the fear of death seems to lessen.”

Kerr’s research shows that most dying patients experience powerful dreams or visions – sometimes involving meetings with long-lost loved ones or recalling significant life events – that provide emotional closure......

According to Kerr, children experience death differently – often because they don’t fully grasp its finality.

Instead of fear, many terminally ill children see comforting visions, like animals that assure them they’re “loved and not alone.”

“Children are creative and imaginative and can access that part of them,” Kerr said.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: christopherkerr; death; deathtruth; endoflife; himaniediriweera; hospice; lastbreath
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My sister had my dad believing he was going to be returning home, he asked me about it. I told him he was only leaving hospice with a toe tag (morgue identifier where he had worked).

He said "That's good news." He had gangrene in his left leg, was 94, and other medical issues.

1 posted on 09/09/2025 9:49:28 AM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
Death is so wonderful.

Everyone should do it.

2 posted on 09/09/2025 9:52:02 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear ( Not my circus. Not my monkeys. But I can pick out the clowns at 100 yards.)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

I plan on giving it try. I just haven’t seen any reviews on it yet in Google or yelp.


3 posted on 09/09/2025 9:54:28 AM PDT by suasponte137
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear
Everyone should do it.

It's on my bucket list.

4 posted on 09/09/2025 9:54:28 AM PDT by IYAS9YAS (There are two kinds of people: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

My friend was a huge Bengals fan. When the priest gave him his last rites, his last words were “Who Dey”.Everyone, even the priest laughed


5 posted on 09/09/2025 9:54:44 AM PDT by bleach (Donaldus Magnus 2024-2028 A.D.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

“Agent Smart, what were his last words?”

“Get your knee off my chest!”


6 posted on 09/09/2025 9:56:39 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

It’s helpful to think about it. As I’ve grown older I’ve found death more interesting to consider - not in a morbid way, but in a curious and sort of preparatory way.

Some people just can’t deal with the thought of it and ignore it completely; then when they get a hopeless diagnosis, they’re lost trying to deal with the finality of it.


7 posted on 09/09/2025 9:58:23 AM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

“Hold my beer and watch this!”


8 posted on 09/09/2025 9:58:44 AM PDT by Flatus I. Maximus
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To: bleach

Being a born again Christ follower, my father said “I’m going home”.....that was more reassuring for me than you’ll ever know.


9 posted on 09/09/2025 9:59:50 AM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

The good don’t fear death. The evil clutch to life as long as possible because they know where they’re going in the afterlife.


10 posted on 09/09/2025 10:01:18 AM PDT by Dr. Franklin ("A republic, if you can keep it." )
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To: Jamestown1630

Can’t wait till Christ says, there is a lot of Puppies here who have been waiting for you!


11 posted on 09/09/2025 10:01:55 AM PDT by Nevernikki
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
it is a moment of deep psychological transformation for many.

And for others, its just another day?

12 posted on 09/09/2025 10:06:00 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

I did, several times, and I totally agree.


13 posted on 09/09/2025 10:07:53 AM PDT by tired&retired (Blessings )
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

14 posted on 09/09/2025 10:08:42 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Society has no reward for following the rules any more)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

Everyone will


15 posted on 09/09/2025 10:08:53 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Nevernikki
Can’t wait till Christ says, there is a lot of Puppies here who have been waiting for you!

I hope the rainbow bridge has a place for treats. I'm looking forward to lots of belly rubs and snuggles with my pets.

16 posted on 09/09/2025 10:09:09 AM PDT by Myrddin
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To: bleach

My dad - who grew up dirt poor during the Depression and was very conscious about dressing and acting properly - was on his deathbed after a massive heart attack in the hospital. Our brothers and sisters were gathered around his bed, whispering quietly while he slept/was unconscious - like a typical scene from a movie

My niece, a granddaughter, who had grown up with him and was away at college, heard the news and got a plane, and rushed to the hospital. Being about 20 years old, she had standard young person’s travel garb on - a nice, but loose sweater and fashionably ripped jeans.

She entered the hospital room, we all greated her quietly as possible

Dad heard the commotion, awoke, to our surprise, lifted his head a little and said “Oh, hello honey! Nice to see you!”

His face then soured a little and he said “And you wore THAT on the airplane???”


17 posted on 09/09/2025 10:09:17 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: ClearCase_guy

“Always look on the bright side of life!”


18 posted on 09/09/2025 10:09:37 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: suasponte137

“..I plan on giving it try. I just haven’t seen any reviews on it yet in Google or yelp....”

LOL...Yep. Not seen too many recent ones myself. Not that I was really looking for any either.
However, I did see one “review”, and it was definitely a “hit or miss” type of thing.
I remember reading it in: Luke 16:19-31


19 posted on 09/09/2025 10:10:38 AM PDT by lgjhn23 ("On the 8th day, Satan created the progressive liberal to destroy all the good that God created...")
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To: V_TWIN

When hospice sent mom home, during a lucid moment, she told us Jesus said he was taking her home on her birthday. I lied for two days after her date, finally we told her, today is your birthday. She passed a few hours later.


20 posted on 09/09/2025 10:11:31 AM PDT by bleach (Donaldus Magnus 2024-2028 A.D.)
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