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Welcome to the iHeartRadio and Coast to Coast

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And sometimes unexplained. Now

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Welcome to our podcast. Please

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and associates. We would like to encourage

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the subject matter for yourself. Hi.

0:56

I'm Sandra Champlain. For over

0:58

twenty five years, I've been on a journey

1:01

to prove the existence of life after

1:03

death. On each episode, we'll

1:06

discuss the reasons we now know that

1:08

our loved ones have survived physical

1:10

death, and so will we.

1:14

Welcome to Shades of the Afterlife.

1:16

Today, we're going to honor all those kind

1:18

hearted people who work or

1:21

volunteer with hospice. We're

1:23

going to hear many stories today

1:25

of heavenly visitors who appear

1:28

to the dying while under hospice

1:30

care, giving hope and comfort.

1:32

To all that no one dies alone

1:35

and that we are indeed all

1:38

escorted into the afterlife with

1:40

love. Also a special shout

1:43

out and words of acknowledgment

1:45

to those of you Shades of the Afterlife listeners

1:48

who were so moved by prior episodes

1:51

that you have taken on volunteering

1:54

with Hospice. Many people have

1:56

told me that one sure way to

1:58

get over the fear of dying and to know

2:00

the reality of the afterlife is to

2:02

be part of hospice. So

2:05

thank you all of you who

2:07

donate your time and those

2:09

who may just be inspired

2:11

to do so after this episode. Unfortunately,

2:15

so many people die alone, and those

2:17

loving souls that work and volunteer

2:19

with hospice really do

2:22

give people the very best

2:24

care right up unto the end of

2:27

this physical existence. Cicily

2:29

Saunders, who was born back in nineteen

2:32

eighteen, founded the first

2:34

modern hospice and more

2:37

than anybody else, was responsible

2:40

for establishing the discipline and

2:42

the culture of palliative care.

2:44

She introduced effective pain

2:47

management and insisted that

2:49

dying people need dignity, compassion

2:52

and respect. Saint Christopher's

2:55

Hospice opened in the southwest

2:57

of London back in nineteen sixty

2:59

seven. It is now one of many, but

3:02

it is still the leader in the field. It

3:04

was her personal achievement that

3:06

has now been imitated all

3:08

over the world. As of twenty twenty

3:11

three, there are over eighty

3:13

eight hundred hospices and

3:15

palliative care centers in the US

3:18

alone, with at least another

3:20

eighty five hundred in one

3:22

hundred and twenty five countries around

3:24

the world. Hospice provides the

3:26

best possible quality of life for

3:29

not only patients, but families

3:31

of those with six or less

3:34

months to live. Sicily Saunders

3:36

introduced the idea of total pain

3:39

management, which includes physical,

3:41

emotional, social, and spiritual

3:44

dimensions of distress, and hospice

3:47

will do everything possible to

3:49

have the patient pain free, whether

3:52

they live their final days in a hospice

3:54

care facility or in their own

3:57

home. I'd like to especially

3:59

mention and the YouTube channels of

4:02

hospice nurse Julie the end

4:04

Well Project, and hospice

4:06

doctor Christopher Kerr, author

4:09

of Death Is But a Dream. The

4:11

current book I am reading is called Final

4:13

Gifts Understanding the Special

4:16

Awareness, Needs and Communications

4:18

of the Dying by hospice nurses

4:21

Maggie Callanan and Patricia

4:23

Kelly. To find more of my past

4:26

episodes about these heavenly

4:28

visitors that appear by the bedside,

4:31

please refer back to Shades of

4:33

the Afterlife episodes seven

4:36

forty one, one twenty

4:38

two, and one fifty four.

4:41

Before we get into our stories today, let's

4:43

hear a few words from doctor Christopher

4:46

Kerr.

4:47

In times of illness, we are drawn

4:49

closer to those in need an endure

4:51

tragedy through gestures of compassion

4:54

and concern. The global calamity

4:56

of COVID nineteen has not just brought

4:58

death, It is also operated us

5:00

from each other and from those we love. As

5:03

a hospice physician who spend decades

5:06

at the bedside of dying patients, I

5:08

have come to realize that no matter how physically

5:10

alone patients are, few of

5:12

them die alone. End of life

5:14

is more than a medical endeavor. Dying

5:17

is more than the physical manifestations we

5:19

observe. When medicine can no longer

5:21

defy illness, nature assumes its

5:23

rightful place, and dying becomes

5:26

what has always been a human

5:28

experience. Is not just the closing

5:30

of a life, but a meaningful vantage

5:32

point that draws people inward

5:35

towards the end of life, people often

5:37

recall the best parts of living. For

5:39

some, this occurs consciously through

5:41

conversations. For others,

5:44

it comes unconsciously through dreams. The

5:46

dying process is about progressively

5:48

deeper sleep and alternating levels

5:51

of alertness. These states are not moments

5:53

of confusion or delirium, and our studies

5:56

that dying describe them as comforting subjective

5:58

experiences that bring and clarity

6:00

and insight and a peaceful end of life.

6:03

These experiences include vivid dreams.

6:06

At end of life, people rarely share existential

6:09

insights or exuberant pronouncements.

6:11

They don't have epiphanies. Instead,

6:14

they talk of love in a way that restores

6:16

their sense of connectiveness of being

6:18

made whole. Elderly patients

6:20

experience the return of the mother or father

6:22

they lost in childhood. Women cradle

6:25

babies long loss to their touch. They

6:27

visualize a world where their best relationships

6:29

define their purpose and their true accomplishments.

6:33

As a doctor, I do not need

6:35

to be able to explain these end of life experiences

6:37

to my patients, nor interfere medically.

6:40

I've learned to show reverence for the strength of

6:42

the human spirit in its endless quest

6:45

to heal what is harmed or broken. While

6:47

we may envision ventilators and ivs,

6:50

the dying often experience love, presence,

6:52

and even touch of predeceased loved

6:54

ones. They revisit the memories

6:57

of being held and cherished. The culmination

6:59

of a life, rather than its demise. The

7:02

dying teach us that the best parts

7:04

of having lived are never truly lost. A

7:06

lesson seems clear. The totality

7:09

of our human experience can never be defined

7:11

or reduced by its last moments.

7:14

You can find out more about doctor Kerr

7:17

at doctor Christopher Kerr

7:19

dot com, spell it Dr

7:23

Christopher Karr

7:26

dot com. I know for me it's

7:28

exciting to hear after life

7:31

stories, near death experience

7:33

stories, deathbed visitation stories.

7:36

They're all great that help us believe.

7:39

But am I ready to die? Do

7:41

I want to die? The answer

7:43

is no. I think it's part of

7:46

being human for us to

7:48

want to live as long as possible.

7:51

We each have that ego mind

7:53

though that doesn't want us to

7:56

think about the end. Often

7:58

we don't want to think about putting will together

8:01

or preparing for our last days.

8:04

Or if a loved one starts talking about

8:07

their will or last wishes, it's

8:09

hard to listen to, and we may try to

8:11

deflect that. However, one

8:13

reason I do these episodes

8:16

is for all of us, including myself,

8:19

to be comfortable with the fact that

8:21

we're going to depart one day and

8:23

it will be okay. You

8:26

know how you woke up this morning and

8:28

it was a brand new day yesterday

8:30

and the days before or somewhere

8:32

in the past. Now, the same

8:34

thing will happen when we pass.

8:38

We'll wake up in the afterlife, be

8:40

very excited with those we are with,

8:43

feeling young and healthy, being

8:45

greeted by our loved ones, our pets,

8:47

in a world that seems so similar to

8:50

earth, but so much better, and

8:52

our life here will seem like it

8:54

was just the dream. For most

8:57

people, the dying process is

8:59

just like when you snuggle into bed at night

9:01

and that feeling of sleep takes you

9:03

over and the next thing happens you

9:06

wake up. Even for those who

9:08

have traumatic deaths, it

9:10

is said that the soul can

9:12

leave the body and not feel

9:14

pain. There are many

9:17

short stories I'm going to read to you today.

9:20

Between each story, you'll hear

9:22

this chime, letting

9:25

you know one story has ended and

9:28

the next is beginning. Here's

9:30

our first story. My sister passed

9:32

from breast cancer in twenty and

9:35

eleven. She fought so hard

9:37

and didn't understand it was the

9:39

end, even two days before

9:42

she died. The night before, I

9:44

was sitting on the chair at the foot of her bed

9:46

when she suddenly opened her eyes, smiled

9:50

and looked so happy. She

9:52

said she saw our dad sitting

9:55

in the chair and felt so peaceful

9:58

and happy that he was with her. Dad

10:00

had died in two thousand and five. I

10:03

knew then and there that there was

10:05

so much more to our lives than

10:07

here on earth. When

10:10

my sweet mom was nearing death, I

10:12

visited her in hospice early

10:14

one morning, and she said, oh,

10:17

Richard, I've been everywhere.

10:19

I've seen everyone. I

10:22

even saw Edgar. Edgar

10:24

was her little dog who had recently

10:26

passed away himself, leaving her

10:29

very sad. Luckily, I was able

10:31

to bring Edgar to visit her a few days

10:33

before he passed. But now

10:36

I know they are together. My

10:40

wife passed away November two,

10:42

twenty twenty two. One week

10:44

before. She told me that her

10:46

mom and our two dogs, who

10:49

are all deceased, were sitting

10:51

on a bench at the foot of her bed, just

10:54

looking at her She asked her mom,

10:56

what are you doing here. She thought it

10:58

was funny that all she said to her

11:01

was tell Mike, that's

11:03

me, not to worry. On

11:07

the night before my grandmother died, she

11:10

dreamed she was being welcomed

11:12

by all the family members who

11:14

had passed before her, her parents,

11:17

brothers, and sisters, et cetera.

11:19

They were all so happy to meet again.

11:22

She told the nurses about the wonderful

11:24

dream, and then died a

11:26

few hours later. I

11:29

was the caregiver for my sister the

11:31

last three months she was in hospice.

11:34

She told me she wished I

11:37

could see everyone too. It

11:39

was magnificent. She said. There

11:41

was a party for her with balloons

11:44

and gifts, and everyone

11:46

was singing and dancing. She

11:49

laughed and she called out, Papa,

11:51

Oh, Papa, it's so good to see

11:53

you. She was happy and never

11:56

distressed. She died with a

11:58

smile. My

12:01

husband's uncle was in hospice a

12:03

month before he passed at the age

12:05

of eighty one. He told us his

12:07

mama and daddy were visiting him, and

12:10

his mama was cooking gravy and biscuits,

12:12

and when she got them done, they

12:14

were calling him to come and eat. We

12:17

all told him that we loved him and

12:19

it was okay to go eat with them.

12:22

He didn't leave yet because my sister

12:24

in law didn't agree. He

12:26

was hanging on until she told him

12:29

it was okay. Finally, it

12:31

was hard for her to do so, but she told

12:33

him what he needed to do and

12:36

gave him permission to go eat

12:38

biscuits and gravy. He patted

12:40

her on the hand, exhaled

12:42

deeply, and he was gone.

12:46

Out of all the reasons there are to believe

12:48

in the afterlife, for me personally,

12:51

I love hearing these stories about

12:53

loved ones being there for each

12:56

one of us and taking us home.

12:58

There's no reason to be afraid. No

13:01

one dies alone. It's time

13:03

for our break, and then we'll be

13:05

back with lots more short stories

13:08

from hospice and Heavenly

13:10

visitors. You're listening to Shades

13:13

of the Afterlife on the iHeartRadio

13:15

and Coast to Coast AM Paranormal

13:18

Podcast Network.

13:24

Keep it here on the iHeartRadio and Coast to Coast

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13:38

We are happy to announce that our Coast to Coast

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14:00

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Keep it right here on the iHeartRadio

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and Coast to Coast AM Paranormal

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Podcast Network.

14:44

Welcome back to Shades of the Afterlife.

14:46

I'm Sandra Champlain and this

14:48

episode is filled with short

14:51

stories of heavenly visitors

14:53

that were witnessed through hospice.

14:57

Here's our next story. I sat with

14:59

my friend's mother during her last days.

15:02

Although she was asleep for three

15:04

days, she suddenly sat up

15:06

and with a bright smile, she said,

15:08

Oh, Arthur. It was so

15:11

sweet. However, Arthur wasn't

15:13

her deceased husband's name. It was

15:15

the name of her fiancee who

15:18

died in combat in World War Two,

15:20

a fact not learned until

15:23

her funeral. When

15:26

my mom was in hospice, she said

15:28

that my dad, uncle Howard,

15:31

which was her brother, and her aunt Julie,

15:33

had come to visit. I said they

15:35

did. That's wonderful, Mom, she

15:38

said, And you know what, we ate

15:40

spaghetti and mashed potatoes.

15:43

She says, isn't that funny? I

15:45

said, well, that is funny.

15:46

Mom.

15:47

My mom's brother passed away five

15:49

weeks before my mom did. He

15:51

lived in another state and she was

15:53

too ill to see him. I remember

15:56

how she cried and said he was supposed

15:58

to wait for me. After that vision,

16:00

I said, Mom, I think you

16:02

will see him soon and have more

16:05

spaghetti and mashed potatoes. The

16:09

husband of my best friend

16:11

of forty five years passed

16:13

away at home. I visited him

16:15

often towards the last few

16:18

weeks before he passed. He

16:20

would kindly tell me which chair

16:22

to sit in. I always asked him

16:24

why, and he said, you

16:26

will squish one of my dogs.

16:29

He had four dogs in his life that

16:31

had all passed. He looked out

16:34

He named every one of them

16:36

fondly and said he had

16:39

their leashes ready to take them

16:41

on a walk. Before this happened,

16:43

he feared death, But toward the end

16:46

and seeing those dogs, he seemed

16:48

ready and at peace. Oh

16:51

how he loved those dogs.

16:55

My wife of fifty six years died

16:57

of Alzheimer's and cancer in two

16:59

thousand and eight eighteen. She stopped

17:01

talking three weeks before her death.

17:04

However, six days before

17:06

she died, she told my son

17:08

and grandson, I've got Jesus

17:10

right here with me, and I'm ready

17:12

to go. Those were her last words,

17:15

and she fell into a coma and died

17:17

five days later. This

17:21

next story is from the book that I'm reading called

17:23

Final Gifts from two hospice

17:26

Nurses. Martha was in her early

17:28

sixties, dying of uterine cancer,

17:31

which had spread throughout her pelvis.

17:33

A widow, she'd lived for many years

17:35

with her daughter and family. Martha's

17:38

experience with unseen people

17:40

was not very dramatic, but her reaction

17:43

was typical. She wasn't at all

17:45

surprised or upset by it, and was

17:47

even able to express her pleasure

17:50

at seeing what no one else could see.

17:52

Several weeks before she died, Martha

17:55

said to me, do you know who the little girl

17:57

is? Which little girl? I asked, You

18:00

know the one who comes to see me? She said,

18:02

the one the others can't see.

18:05

Martha then described several visitors

18:07

unseen by others. She knew

18:10

most of them by name, her parents

18:12

and sisters, all of whom were

18:14

dead, but couldn't identify a

18:16

child who appeared with them. But

18:19

that didn't bother her. Don't worry,

18:21

she told me. I'll figure it out before

18:23

I go, or I'll find out when I get

18:26

there. Have you seen them? No, I

18:28

haven't, I said, but I believe that you

18:30

do. Are they here now they

18:32

left a little while ago, Martha said,

18:35

they don't stay all the time. They just

18:37

come and go. What is it like when

18:39

they're here, I asked, Well,

18:41

sometimes we talk, but usually I

18:43

just know that they're here, Martha said.

18:46

I know that they love me and that they'll

18:48

be here with me when it's time. When

18:51

it's time, I said, when

18:53

I die, Martha said, matter

18:55

of factly. In

18:58

most cases, the people seen our

19:00

dead relatives or friends. But sometimes

19:03

people will tell of seeing

19:05

an angel or God or

19:07

some other religious figure. One

19:10

man said he'd seen the Lord's face.

19:12

Another said there was an angel

19:15

standing by my bed. Neither

19:17

of them, nor any of the other

19:19

people who reported seeing these

19:21

spiritual beings were upset.

19:24

They were usually calm as they talked

19:26

about it, and seemed comforted

19:29

and more peaceful in the presence of

19:31

their invisible visitors. We wondered

19:34

if people spoke about spiritual or

19:36

religious beings because they were

19:38

conditioned to expect them

19:40

by their religious beliefs, particularly

19:43

if the person believed in a life

19:45

after death. We were also concerned

19:48

that we might be projecting our own beliefs

19:50

and expectations onto these situations.

19:54

Because of our concerns, we were

19:56

particularly interested in the following

19:58

situation. So here's

20:01

the story of Angela. Angela

20:03

was a delightful musician dying

20:05

of melanoma at twenty five. When

20:08

she entered the hospice inpatient

20:10

unit, her parents, three young

20:12

brothers, and several close friends

20:15

seemed to move in with her. Her

20:17

parents took turns spending the night

20:19

in her room. During the day, a small

20:22

crowd gathered there. The melanoma

20:24

had started as a mole on her arm,

20:27

then spread. Many of

20:29

her more incapacitating

20:31

symptoms resulted from

20:33

its effect on her brain. Her

20:35

left side was paralyzed, She

20:38

was blind and too weak to get out

20:40

of bed, but Angela still

20:43

could speak and was by no means

20:45

helpless. The day she was admitted

20:48

to the unit, she said firmly, I

20:50

know about you hospice people. I

20:53

don't want any of that spiritual stuff,

20:56

no prayers, no chaplains.

20:58

That's not my thing. I'm

21:00

an atheist. I don't believe in

21:03

God or heaven. The

21:05

staff respected Angela's position,

21:07

but her mother found it very difficult. A

21:10

devout Catholic, she couldn't accept

21:12

her daughter's rejection of God

21:15

and the faith she'd been raised in. All

21:17

the other kids believe in God and

21:19

go to church, the mother said, we

21:22

don't know what happened with Angela. We raised

21:24

them all the same, but it never took

21:26

with her. One dark, chilly morning,

21:29

I responded to Angela's call bell.

21:32

Her mother had spent the night, and she stirred

21:34

on the cot as I pushed open the door.

21:37

Hi, Angela, what can I do for you?

21:39

I said, did someone come in here

21:41

to see me? She said, I don't

21:44

think so. I didn't see anyone.

21:46

It's not even don yet and there's no one

21:48

around. I said, why do you ask?

21:52

I saw an angel? She

21:54

said. I sat on the bed. Tell

21:56

me what happened? I said, when

21:58

I woke up, there was an angel sitting

22:01

in the light from the window. Angela

22:03

said, with a smile on her face.

22:06

She described feeling very drawn toward

22:08

this being who exuded warmth,

22:10

love, and caring. Her mother

22:13

jumped off the cot. Angela, it's

22:15

a sign from God, she said, Mother,

22:17

I don't believe in God, Angela said,

22:19

now exasperated, that doesn't

22:22

matter. Her mother said, you've seen God

22:24

or at least a messenger from God. Does

22:27

it matter who it is? Angela snapped.

22:29

Isn't it enough to know that someone

22:32

so loving and caring is

22:34

waiting for me? Angela,

22:37

what do you think it means? I asked. I

22:39

don't believe in angels or God, but

22:41

someone was here with me.

22:44

Whoever it was, loves me

22:47

and I know is waiting for me,

22:49

So it means I won't die alone,

22:51

she said, the smile returning

22:53

to her face. Her mother's eyes

22:56

filled with tears and she put her

22:58

arms around her daughter. Darling,

23:00

it doesn't matter who it is, she said, I'm

23:02

just so pleased this happened. Later,

23:05

outside Angela's room, her

23:07

mother said, I know it was either

23:09

God or an angel, and she insists

23:12

it can't be you know how stubborn

23:14

she is. But what matters most is

23:17

that this happened. She had realized

23:19

her daughter's fear of the loneliness

23:21

of death was alleviated

23:24

by the knowledge of that loving presence

23:26

waiting for her. That's from the

23:28

book Final Gifts, Understanding

23:31

the special awareness, needs

23:33

and Communications of the Dying by

23:36

hospice nurses Maggie Klanan

23:39

and Patricia Kelly. There'll be more stories

23:41

from the book before we're done today.

23:44

Here's our next story. My

23:47

mother was dying of cancer and

23:50

she said she saw her dad, who

23:52

died three years prior. When my grandmother

23:55

was dying. I saw her looking

23:57

at the ceiling from one side

23:59

to the other side with her eyes

24:01

open wide and smiling. She

24:04

asked me, do you see those angels?

24:07

I said no. She blinked and

24:09

kept looking and kept asking me

24:11

if I saw the angels. It was

24:13

very comforting that she saw

24:16

the angels before she passed. My

24:20

grandmother and relatives were telling me

24:22

about my granddad talking to three

24:24

angels weeks up to

24:26

his death. As time went on, there

24:29

were just two angels, and during

24:31

his last day in the hospital, the nurses

24:34

were watching him speak and say to

24:36

one of them, I will see you soon. He

24:39

told my grandmother that there was

24:41

only one angel left

24:43

now. However, my granddad

24:45

had told my grandmother that the angel

24:48

who was at the end of his bed is

24:50

going to leave soon and is going to

24:52

take him with them, and the angel

24:54

said that it is time for everyone

24:57

to come and say goodbye. Everyone

24:59

came to the hospital, and within minutes

25:02

of the last person entering the room,

25:04

he said that the angel said

25:07

it is time, and Grandad died

25:09

peacefully. My

25:12

mom passed away earlier this year.

25:15

She was at the end of a terrible battle

25:17

with cancer. She couldn't speak

25:19

anymore and could only moan

25:21

sometimes, but there were

25:23

a few times close to the end that

25:26

she'd look to the window with her hands

25:29

raised towards it, and she'd

25:31

call out for her dad, who passed

25:33

twenty nine years ago. She'd

25:36

call clearly Papa

25:38

a few times, A Pa means

25:41

Papa. I

25:45

was at the bedside of my mother when she passed.

25:48

At first her eyes were glazed over,

25:50

and then all of a sudden, she looked up to

25:53

the right, then to the left, then

25:55

focused on something. We all looked

25:57

as well to see what she was looking at.

26:00

Her eyes gradually followed whatever

26:02

it was down to the foot of her

26:04

bed, then to her right side.

26:07

She reached out her hand, smiled,

26:10

and then she passed. My favorite

26:12

quote is from author Richard bach

26:15

don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A

26:17

farewell is necessary before

26:20

we may meet again, but meeting again

26:22

after moments or lifetimes

26:25

is certain for those who are

26:27

friends. That always makes

26:29

me smile and makes me know that

26:32

whoever we love

26:34

while we're here on earth, we will see

26:36

them again. And don't be surprised

26:38

if they're your heavenly visitor

26:41

here to take you to your real

26:43

home. Let's go to the break and

26:45

we'll be back with more stories. You're

26:47

listening to Shades of the Afterlife

26:50

on the iHeartRadio and Coast to

26:52

Coast AM Paranormal Podcast

26:55

Network.

27:03

Don't go anywhere.

27:04

There's more Shades of the Afterlife

27:07

coming right up. The

27:13

best afterlife information you can get.

27:15

Well, you're a long Shades

27:17

of the Afterlife with Sander Champlain.

27:24

Hi, this is ufologist Kevin Randall

27:26

and you're listening to the iHeartRadio and Coast

27:28

to Coast AM Paranormal Podcast

27:30

Network.

27:47

Welcome back to Shades of the Afterlife.

27:49

I'm Sander Champlain. We will continue

27:52

with stories from hospice.

27:54

Here's a story from Tracy. She

27:57

says, I'm a hospice nurse,

27:59

but this story is about my own father.

28:02

He passed away suddenly at the age

28:04

of sixty three, thirty

28:06

two years ago. Because I'm a nurse,

28:09

I wanted to dress him for his week and

28:11

make sure everything was perfect. He

28:13

was always a well dressed man.

28:16

So after I convinced the funeral director

28:19

that I would be just fine fussing

28:21

with his suit, shoes, et cetera,

28:23

the funeral director left me alone

28:26

in the room. Soon I

28:28

became aware of a maintenance man sweeping

28:31

slowly in the back of the room. At

28:34

the time, I thought, how sweet

28:36

they are just making sure I am okay.

28:39

After I finished making sure Dad's

28:42

shoes were polished and that he had

28:44

change in his pocket. He

28:46

always had to have change, I

28:48

kissed him goodbye and went to thank

28:51

the director. I also thanked

28:53

him for the maintenance man in the room because

28:56

he did make me feel more at

28:58

ease. He looked at his mortician

29:00

and then said, there was nobody

29:03

here but us. Here's

29:05

the kicker. My dad always

29:08

told us kids that no matter what,

29:10

even if you chose to be a broom pusher,

29:13

be the best damn broom pusher that

29:15

ever was. I believe who I

29:17

saw was my Dad's spirit

29:20

pushing that broom in the room with

29:22

me. I do believe in miracles.

29:28

I was a hospice nurse for fifteen

29:30

years. Hospice is a journey.

29:33

Some patients saw their loved

29:35

ones who had passed on.

29:37

One lady lost all of her

29:39

five children in a fire. Just

29:42

before she died, she told

29:44

her husband that all of their

29:46

children were standing at the end of

29:48

her bed and that she had

29:50

to go and be with them. She smiled

29:53

and then took her last breath. When

29:57

my father died in nineteen ninety,

30:00

he had suffered for years from complications

30:03

of diabetes. By the end of his

30:05

days, he was blind, had both

30:07

legs amputated, underwent

30:10

hemo dialysis, and

30:12

had not spoken for months. At

30:15

lunchtime on a Thursday, my

30:17

mother and I were home when he suddenly

30:19

began to cry and call my

30:22

name. Arriving at his bed,

30:24

he said to me, they are calling

30:26

me to go with them because this

30:28

body no longer fits. So

30:31

I asked Dad, who are

30:33

they? And he said my

30:36

mother and my father. Those

30:38

were my grandparents he was looking

30:40

at, who died several decades

30:43

before. The next day, my

30:45

father died. I

30:49

was a volunteer helper for hospice. I

30:51

would go to the homes of patients and

30:53

give the families some relief to

30:56

run their errands, take a break,

30:58

etc. While I watched

31:00

their loved one. One case

31:02

involved a ninety year old man very

31:05

close to death. While sitting

31:07

with him, he suddenly bolted

31:09

upright, looked around his bed

31:12

and said to me, with his eyes

31:14

bright and shining, they're

31:16

all here. They tell me the party

31:18

is going on, and they came to get

31:21

me. He started calling out names

31:23

of men, interspersing them

31:25

with loud cowboy type woos.

31:29

Then he finally fell silent,

31:31

eyes closed, and he had

31:33

the biggest smile on his face.

31:36

I had written down all that he had said

31:39

at the request of his son. Later,

31:41

when the sun returned, he told

31:44

me that the names were his father's

31:46

best friends, fellow cowboys

31:49

that had worked on a cattle ranch

31:51

out west for years. They

31:54

had all passed away. I

31:56

can't tell you how much joy it

31:58

gave the sun to think that

32:00

his father's friends had come for

32:03

him to take him to the cowboy

32:05

party. One

32:08

of my grandmothers died in hospice

32:11

after a brief illness. Her

32:13

daughter and her daughter's husband,

32:16

aunt and uncle were with her

32:18

as much as possible. My grandma

32:20

looked up toward a corner of

32:22

the room and had a beautiful smile

32:25

on her face. My aunt asked

32:27

her what she was looking at, and

32:29

my grandma said, I see Jesus

32:32

and my whole family. My

32:34

grandma was the youngest of seven

32:37

children, and she was the last

32:39

one in her family to die.

32:44

My aunt and I were very close, and

32:47

she dreamt often of deceased

32:49

family members who were around her.

32:51

In her final dream, she saw

32:54

a tall, dark haired, handsome

32:56

man stand up strong

32:58

amongst them. She needed no words,

33:01

she knew it was my son who

33:04

passed away this year. He was no

33:06

longer in his wheelchair. He was

33:08

completely healed. I

33:11

remember a patient who was never

33:14

very talkative, and it was very

33:16

difficult to get even a smile out

33:18

of him. Not because he was in pain

33:20

or seriously ill, that was

33:23

just his style. One day, he was

33:25

looking up towards the ceiling and

33:27

he was smiling his head

33:29

off. He looked so happy.

33:31

I asked him if he was okay. He

33:34

barely moved his head, but he

33:36

said yes. I went into

33:38

the supply room only for a brief

33:40

moment, and when I came out, he

33:43

had died. But I will always

33:46

remember the sheer look

33:48

of joy on his face. I believe

33:50

he was seeing something or someone

33:53

which made him so happy.

33:58

Four days before my eighty nine year

34:00

old father passed away, I saw

34:03

him raise his right hand and say,

34:05

I'm coming, Mom. Be patient,

34:08

I'll be there soon. I'll be there in

34:10

four days. And four days later

34:12

he passed. My father really

34:15

loved his mother, and it gave me great

34:18

comfort knowing that she was

34:20

there to greet him. I

34:24

had a patient who was actively

34:26

dying. As her nurse, I

34:28

stayed by her side and comforted

34:31

her as much as I could. After

34:33

about twenty minutes, she began

34:35

to wave towards the corner of the

34:38

room. She had this big

34:40

smile with glow and

34:42

joy. She grabbed my hand and

34:44

said, look, say hello

34:46

to my mom. She began reaching

34:49

her arms out to the empty corner of the room.

34:51

She died within the hour. My

34:56

grandmother had a massive heart attack.

34:59

She was dead for a few moments before

35:01

being revived A few weeks

35:03

later. When she was finally able

35:05

to speak, she told us she

35:08

saw her deceased parents, her

35:10

brothers, her sisters, her

35:12

first husband, and her friends

35:15

all sitting around a big card table

35:18

playing poker. They turned to

35:20

her and they told her they couldn't

35:22

deal her in yet. When

35:26

my best friend was dying of cancer, she

35:29

was putting up a good fight. She didn't

35:31

want to die. She was still a

35:33

young sixty years old. The

35:36

day before her body gave out, she

35:38

became at peace. She

35:40

stopped fighting and said, I love

35:42

you all, but my dad's here and

35:44

I'm going to go with him. The

35:48

last words my father said before

35:51

his death were I have

35:53

to go now. My parents are here

35:55

sitting next to me on the bed, and

35:57

they want to take me somewhere very

36:00

peaceful and relaxed. And

36:02

then he died. My

36:06

dad was in hospice back

36:08

in nineteen ninety four and was

36:10

in a comatose state for a few weeks

36:12

before he passed away. On the day

36:15

that he passed, he was holding

36:17

his arm up toward the corner of the

36:19

ceiling and I thought he was waking

36:21

up. I called out to him, but

36:23

he never responded. He smiled

36:26

and spoke in a very soft voice

36:29

to whoever it was he was seeing

36:31

before his arm dropped, and then twenty

36:34

five minutes later he passed

36:36

away. Then two

36:38

months later he came to me in a

36:40

dream, telling me how

36:43

light he felt. He was flapping

36:45

his arms like a chicken flaps

36:47

their wings. He said he felt

36:50

very light and it was just wonderful.

36:53

He also stated that

36:55

he never had time to tell me that

36:57

he left five thousand dollars and

37:00

his top dresser drawer in his room

37:02

for me and my wife and two

37:05

small children. At the time. I

37:07

woke up and told my wife about

37:09

the dream with my dad. Then

37:12

I told her about the money he said he left

37:14

for us. So we both

37:16

got out of bed and went into his

37:18

room and opened his top

37:20

dresser drawer. I took

37:22

out all of the papers in the books, and

37:25

at the bottom of the drawer was

37:27

a white envelope with our names

37:30

on it. I opened the envelope

37:32

and counted out exactly

37:36

five thousand dollars in

37:38

cash. Needless to say,

37:40

I nearly passed out. And ever

37:43

since that day, I have had a fascination

37:46

with life after death. I

37:48

know for a fact life

37:52

goes on. My mom just

37:54

passed away in her sleep at

37:56

the age of ninety one, and

37:58

I took care of her for about two twenty

38:00

years after her health started

38:02

failing. The things that have happened

38:04

after she passed are amazing

38:07

too. Life definitely

38:09

does go on, and I look forward

38:12

to one day seeing my mom

38:14

and dad again. I

38:18

worked as an oncology nurse at a

38:20

children's hospital in the nineties.

38:22

One night I was caring for a twelve year

38:24

old girl who was dying from leukemia.

38:27

She was there alone, and it was a very

38:30

peaceful night. She slept

38:32

most of it. Her parents were not there.

38:35

At one point during the night, she woke

38:37

up and asked me, where did

38:39

the man go? And I said, what man?

38:42

And she said, the man that's been sitting

38:44

in that rocking chair next to her

38:46

bed. Our unit was locked

38:49

at night, and we knew everyone who

38:51

was on that floor, and there was no

38:53

man that was visible that

38:56

sat in that chair next to her that

38:58

night. She died peacefully

39:01

the next morning. To this day,

39:03

I know it was someone from heaven coming

39:06

to take her home. Before

39:10

passing, my father had vivid

39:12

dreams of his hometown in

39:14

Sicily. He could recall everyone's

39:17

names, the shops and said

39:19

it was so clear and that he

39:21

could remember everything. Dad

39:24

was eighty when he passed and hadn't

39:26

been back to Sicily since he left

39:29

at the age of seventeen. I

39:31

should have realized that this was

39:33

a sign of his soon to be

39:35

passing. My sister passed

39:38

twelve months later and said

39:40

that Dad was at the hospital with

39:42

her just before she died.

39:46

It's time to go to our last break and

39:48

then we'll be back with more stories.

39:51

You're listening to Shades of the Afterlife

39:54

on the iHeartRadio and Coast to

39:56

Coast a M Paranormal Podcast

39:59

Network. Stay

40:07

there, Sandra will be right back.

40:14

Hey, it's the Wizard of Weird Joshua

40:17

P. Warren. Don't forget to check out my

40:19

show Strange Things each

40:21

week as I bring you the world of the

40:23

truly amazing and bizarre

40:26

right here on the iHeartRadio

40:28

and Coast to Coast AM Paranormal

40:31

Podcast Network.

40:36

This is Afterlife Expert Daniel

40:39

Braakley, and you're listening to the iHeartRadio

40:42

and Coast to Coast AM Paronormal

40:45

Podcast Network. Welcome

41:00

back to Shades of the Afterlife. I'm Sandra

41:03

Champlain. We never know

41:05

how our life is going to play out,

41:08

or the lives of our loved ones, but

41:10

hearing these stories gives so

41:13

much confidence that no one

41:15

dies alone, that there's a bigger

41:17

plan. That we're greeted that

41:20

there's parties and that people

41:23

will take us home. I'd like

41:25

to continue our story time with

41:28

some stories from the new books that I'm

41:30

reading called Final Gifts, written

41:32

by two hospice nurses.

41:35

They say, sometimes a family decides

41:37

to withhold information about

41:40

the death of someone. The dying person

41:42

knows this impulse is

41:44

to spare someone emotional

41:47

pain, but the truth often

41:49

brings peace, not discomfort.

41:52

This is the story of Sue, a

41:54

dignified Chinese woman. Sue

41:57

was getting devoted care from her daughter

42:00

Lily. Both were Buddhists

42:02

and very accepting of the mother's

42:05

terminal status. I've had a good

42:07

life for ninety three years,

42:09

she said, and I've been on earth

42:12

long enough. She dreamed of her

42:14

husband, who had died many

42:16

years before. I will join

42:18

him soon, she said. But one

42:20

day, Sue seemed very puzzled.

42:24

Why is my sister with my husband?

42:26

She asked, They are both calling

42:29

me to come. Is your sister

42:31

dead, I asked, No, she

42:33

still lives in China, she said, I've

42:36

not seen her for many years. When

42:38

I related this conversation to the

42:41

daughter, she was astonished and

42:43

tearful. My aunt died

42:45

two days ago in China. Lily

42:48

said, we decided not to tell

42:50

mother that her sister had

42:52

the same kind of cancer. It

42:54

was a very painful death. She lived

42:57

in a remote village where good medical

42:59

care wasn't available. We

43:01

didn't want to upset or frighten

43:04

mother since she was so sick herself.

43:07

What do you think about your mother's questioning

43:09

why she is being called to come by both

43:12

her sister and your father,

43:14

I asked. Mother tells me

43:16

that my father's been calling her to

43:19

be with him for the past week. Lily said,

43:21

it gives me comfort to know they

43:24

will be together in the next life,

43:26

So I guess her sister is waiting there

43:28

for her. Also, Lily said,

43:31

after much thought, do you think the

43:33

news of her sister's death will upset

43:35

your mother? No, I guess not. They

43:38

loved each other a great deal, so

43:40

it'll be wonderful for them to be all

43:42

together again. I guess I should

43:44

tell her the truth. When Lily tearfully

43:47

told her mother about her sister's illness

43:49

and death, Sue said, with a knowing

43:51

smile, Now I understand

43:54

her puzzle was solved. She died

43:56

three weeks later, at peace and

43:59

with a se anticipation. The

44:01

Companionship and support these

44:04

presences provide for a person

44:06

about to die is evident, but

44:08

some terminally ill people have

44:11

these experiences months

44:13

before their deaths and benefit

44:15

in a similar way over a longer

44:18

period of time. We

44:21

don't just see people when we pass.

44:24

Sometimes, like the man seeing

44:27

Cecily, get transported

44:29

back to places in the past. Here's

44:32

the story of Lucy. Near Dawn,

44:34

a patient's daughter telephoned mother

44:37

says she's been out of her body and

44:39

has been somewhere else, but now

44:41

she's back and keeps wanting to

44:43

tell me about it. Ellie said, in

44:46

a tight, breathless voice, would you please

44:48

come over? How is she now? I asked.

44:51

She says she's fine, Ellie said, Does

44:53

she seem any different to you? No, she's

44:55

the same as always, except for the story

44:58

of leaving her body. Is

45:00

she upset by having left her body? No,

45:03

she's fine, feeling quite comfortable

45:05

and asking for a cup of coffee. I

45:08

told Ellie to make the coffee and i'd be right

45:10

over. When I arrived, Ellie

45:12

looked shaken. Her mother, though,

45:15

was serene. How are you doing,

45:17

I asked, Lucy. I was just telling

45:19

Ellie that I went out of here and

45:22

left this old body behind for

45:24

a while. Lucy said, where

45:26

did you go? I asked, back to

45:28

the old farm in Pennsylvania where

45:30

I grew up. She said, The kitchen

45:32

looked the same, and the view across

45:35

the fields where the cows used

45:37

to be was so fresh and

45:39

green. Lucy talked at length

45:41

about the old farmhouse, how she'd

45:43

lived in it until she was nearly

45:46

twenty, and then she'd continue

45:48

to visit until the death of her

45:50

uncle, who owned it. After it was

45:52

sold, she hadn't returned. In

45:54

her opinion, she'd been transported

45:57

to a place she particularly

45:59

loved. What do you think this means, I

46:02

asked Lucy. Oh, I don't know.

46:04

I guess I just wanted to see it again. In

46:07

describing her out of body experience,

46:10

Lucy gave many specific details,

46:13

but sometimes they only refer

46:15

to a light. Here's

46:19

Emma's story. Emma fifty,

46:22

had a husband and two children in

46:25

their early twenties. When I asked

46:27

Emma what she missed most because

46:29

of the limitations of her illness,

46:31

she replied, entertaining

46:34

I love to give parties and cook wonderful

46:37

food for my family and friends. Her

46:39

husband reported that many friends

46:41

brought food to them now, always

46:43

hoping to send just the right thing to

46:46

tempt Emma's disappearing appetite.

46:48

So Emma knew that her family was

46:51

still eating well, despite the fact

46:53

that she could no longer cook for them, But

46:56

it was the joy of sharing her creative

46:58

cooking with the people she loved

47:01

that she missed so much. Her daughter

47:03

was about to graduate from college, and

47:05

Emma spoke often about how she

47:07

looked forward to seeing her daughter and

47:10

a cap and gown. She's the first

47:12

college graduate in the family, she

47:14

said proudly. As her illness

47:17

progressed, Emma spent more time

47:19

in bed. About a month before

47:21

she died, I visited and found

47:23

her propped up on pillows,

47:26

staring into space with a dreamy

47:28

look in her eyes. She was smiling

47:30

peacefully. What's happening, Emma,

47:33

I asked, there's that

47:35

beautiful light, she whispered

47:37

softly. Despite my gentle

47:40

questioning, she continued to smile

47:43

dreamily, but offered no further

47:45

information. She mentioned

47:47

the light two or three times

47:50

during my next few visits, never

47:53

providing details, but continuing

47:55

to look radiant and peaceful. She

47:58

was a strong willed woman who struggled

48:00

to deal with her increasing loss of

48:03

control as she became sicker,

48:06

She insisted on continuing to manage

48:09

her own medicines, despite

48:11

the fact that she was sometimes

48:13

slightly confused. Her family

48:15

and nurses were very concerned about her

48:17

safety and felt this might be dangerous,

48:20

yet she could not relinquish this control.

48:23

Rather than have a private duty nurse at

48:25

home, Emma chose to be admitted

48:28

into the hospice unit. I visited

48:30

her shortly after she was admitted.

48:33

Oh, if only I could relax, she complained.

48:37

What would happen if you relaxed? I asked,

48:40

well, that light would come closer again

48:43

and I could get to know all those

48:45

people. For as flit second,

48:47

I thought she was referring to her roommates

48:50

or the staff on the unit. Unsure,

48:53

I asked what people. Emma

48:57

looked surprised, as if I were asking

48:59

a rediculous question. All

49:01

these people around my bed, of course,

49:04

she said, waving her arm to

49:06

show the size of the crowd that I

49:09

couldn't see. You will relax,

49:11

I reassured her. This is a

49:14

safe place to relax and

49:16

a safe place to get to know

49:18

all these people around you. The

49:20

beautiful light will come closer and

49:23

everything will be all right. The

49:25

nurse assigned to Emma's care reported

49:28

that she was comfortable, but deteriorating,

49:32

and often appeared busy, preoccupied,

49:35

as though giving directions were

49:37

fussing at people unseen. On

49:40

the eve of her daughter's graduation, I

49:43

visited again and asked, what's

49:45

happening, Emma? Well, I have

49:47

so much to do with all of these people, and

49:50

that light just keeps coming closer,

49:53

she replied, with a trace of annoyance.

49:56

Do you know any of these people? I asked her.

49:58

Well, yes, there's my she said,

50:01

squinting as if to see him better. I

50:03

smiled and nodded, knowing that her

50:05

father had died less than a year before.

50:08

Is he waiting for you? I asked? She

50:11

looked surprised. For Heaven's sake,

50:13

Is that what he's doing? She asked? Emma,

50:17

when will your work be done? I

50:19

continued, Oh, I think

50:21

probably Sunday, she answered. I

50:23

immediately called her family to alert

50:25

them. The next day, Emma put

50:27

on her wig and makeup to prepare

50:30

for her daughter's visit after graduation. It

50:33

was quite a celebration, with cake,

50:35

champagne, and lots of family

50:38

pictures taken The next morning,

50:40

Emma again, put on her wig

50:42

and makeup, lay back against the pillows

50:45

with a contented sigh, and

50:47

within a few hours had slipped

50:50

from sleep into a brief coma.

50:52

With her family quietly sitting around

50:55

her. She peacefully died, just

50:57

as she had predicted. It was Sunday

51:00

and her work was done. If

51:03

you're interested in hospice care

51:05

for yourself, for a loved one, or

51:07

volunteering, there's a great website,

51:10

Hospicefoundation dot org.

51:13

Many individuals and families really could

51:15

benefit from care, but don't know

51:17

how to access it. Some people

51:19

are afraid to discuss it, some wait for a

51:21

physician to suggest it, and some people

51:24

don't know. You can initiate

51:26

hospice care on your own. Remember

51:28

that hospice does not extend or shorten

51:31

life expectancy, but seeks

51:33

to improve the quality of

51:35

time that is left and manage

51:38

pain. If you think hospice

51:40

may be the right choice for you or a family

51:43

member, here's how to proceed. Number

51:45

one, start the conversation. Discuss

51:48

it with your healthcare provider. Number

51:50

two, get recommendations, do

51:52

some searching in your area, ask

51:55

family or friends. Even if your

51:57

physician doesn't agree that hospice

52:00

this is the right choice. You can contact

52:02

a local hospice directly for help

52:05

with a referral next visit

52:07

and assess the providers. You can

52:09

request a no cost, no obligation

52:12

visit by the hospice providers.

52:15

They will send a clinician to your home, or

52:18

you could visit the hospice facility

52:20

and get your questions answered. My

52:23

father spent some time in hospice

52:25

managing his pain medication. The

52:28

facility was bright and happy.

52:30

The staff couldn't have been

52:33

any greater. Little did I know then

52:35

that that experience would have me

52:38

recommending hospice to you. Now,

52:40

certainly that's the route I'm going to go.

52:43

Well, our time together has come to an

52:45

end. Please remember to come visit me

52:47

at We Don'tdie dot com, Come

52:50

to a free Sunday gathering, join

52:52

one of our medium classes, or other events.

52:55

I'm Sandra Champlain. Thank

52:58

you so much for listen listening to Shades

53:01

of the Afterlife on the iHeartRadio

53:04

and Coast to Coast am Heirinormal

53:07

podcast Network.

53:15

And if you like this episode of Shades of the

53:17

Afterlife, wait until you hear the next one.

53:20

Thank you for listening to the iHeartRadio

53:22

and coast to coast AM Paranormal Podcast

53:24

Network,