A hospice nurse has become a TikTok star sharing stories of her work in end-of-life care – including visitations from pets and dead relatives to her views on the afterlife.
Penny Smith, 59, from Washington, USA, regularly uploads videos of her experiences to TikTok (@hospicenursepenny), where she has 432,000 followers.
The clips have left social media users stunned, racking up millions of views as the nurse gives an inside view into death and what dying patients say to her.
Being around death so much, Penny has been through so many unusual experiences that it has lead her into believing in the afterlife.
“I didn’t believe in the afterlife before I became a hospice nurse but I do now,” she told NeedToKnow.online.
“The most profound thing is when a dying person tells you they are being visited by someone who has died.
“This can happen when a person is completely lucid and clearly able to state who they are seeing.
“Seeing people visioning ‘spirits’ or whatever entity it is they see has affirmed a belief in me that there is something more, that helped me cope with my dad’s death myself.
“Once a lady was searching for a cat in her room, then she realised it was one of her previous pets.
“Another time, a gentleman patient of mine saw his wife in the ceiling in the corner of the room.
“He told me she was coming to get him ‘but not today, tomorrow’.”
Many dying people also share their regrets and final thoughts with the hospice nurse.
She said: “Generally speaking, people [who are dying] talk about wishing they had worked less, spent more time with family, that sort of thing.
“But the one I’ve never forgotten was the man who told me one morning that he regretted doing chemo for his lung cancer.
“He died the same afternoon he said that to me.”
Unfortunately, the job also comes with some very difficult situations including family tensions.
She said: “There’s nothing worse than having a patient who hasn’t put their wishes in writing or designated someone to speak on their behalf.
“Or, sometimes a person is designated as the decision-maker and they weaponise it by withholding visitation rights.
“I had a young patient whose wife wouldn’t allow his mother to visit anymore, it was heartbreaking.”
The hospice nurse also claims she’s had family members withhold pain medication.
Despite some of the negative experiences, Penny loves her job and has also had many positive moments with her patients.
She said: “My favourite was finally managing my 42-year-old lung cancer patient’s pain to the point where her young daughters and I could give her a bed bath and dress her in her favourite t-shirt and leopard print panties.
“It was such a special and meaningful experience for her girls and I.”
In one of her most popular videos, which has racked up 7.8 million views and over 331,000 likes, she reveals her beliefs while someone is dying.
In the clip, she re-enacts someone holding up their arms while they are slipping away, before implying that this could mean a spirit is hugging them.
Users took to the comments to share their unusual experiences after someone close to them passed away.
“The night before my dad passed away – he asked me if I’m pregnant. A week later I took a test and it confirmed that I’m pregnant! It’s amazing,” one viewer commented.
Another person added: “Heaven is real. This life is just a trial. Be kind to others,” followed by a thumbs up emoji.
In a second clip, which has over 4.7 million views and 262,000 likes, she shares another belief about a different spirit welcoming someone into the afterlife.
In the video, she re-enacts someone stroking the air above their chest as they peacefully “pass” away while in bed.
Shortly after, she shows a cat’s spirit on the screen being caressed by their owner.
One viewer wrote: “My dad passed last week. One of the last things he said was ‘good boy Randy.’ He was our dog who passed away 35 years ago.”
“I hope this is true. I can’t wait to see my pitty again,” another person added.
Someone else said: “This made me cry, I really hope our pets are waiting for us.”
In another clip, which has racked up 1.3 million views and 52,000 likes, Penny reveals why we don’t want to eat near the end.
In the video, she explains that while we love food, it acts as “fuel” for our body – which we don’t need upon dying as our bodies are “shutting down.”
As a result, our body sends the message that we don’t need to eat – leading to a loss of appetite.
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There's Always a familiar face to welcome those that's busy with the transition phase .if there was an long illness involved then it's usually weeks to months ahead usually in dreams when their beloved one's appears .my late brother used to ask me about this dreams he has from our deceased family and l did not wanted to scare him by telling him why they appear in his dreams. l told him they came to check on him😢.he past away like 3 months later
Jesus is absolutely AMAZING!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Hospice staff was absent for us and my younger sister was doped up on morphine! My younger brother was holing her hand when I came back from taking a shower and didn’t even realize she was gone until our brother-in-law walked in and asked, “Is she still breathing?”
These comments got me crine 😢
Seeing her pet the cat, I’m brought to tears, Ty for sharing this beautiful moment.
It’s hard for me read all these stories and watch the video because it reminds me of my moms passing. It’s all touching though and I’m glad to read them. I hope it’s really how we pass ❤
What you have to think about is: what is the presence of others? Our seperation is an illusion. We are all one organism, one universe. The experience of the other is something that happens inside you. I know this is not what people want to hear.. they want an afterlife, but you dissolve and become unity again. This is different than rejoining loved ones who passed.. it is much, much more..
yes, i have seen all of these signs too, working end stage palliative care for years, people talk to their mums a lot
God bless every hospice nurse…there is no one better!❤❤❤❤
Yes I know that they are coming to get them
❤ thanks for this. I haven't felt this kind of emotion in a while. I miss my dad… I need him
My mom sat up, now at this point she had already said, I can’t see, called curiously, Mom Daddy?? At that moment I was ok. They were waiting for her. 😢❤
My 17 yo daughter recently had passed away because she fell out of 4 floor and fell with her head doctors said she is gonna be fine but I just knew something was wrong . She kept telling me she saw my grandma and her cats she used to try get up to feed them. My husband first saw her talking to his dad and he came to burst into tears I couldn’t stop him. She died 2 weeks after her birthday. Rest in peace my angel Seraphina🤍
I’m end stage Copd and I see my dead family members frequently but in dreams. Don’t see my dog. Will I be actually seeing them or just in a dream?
When my mother was dying, I asked if she sees my dad, she replied "all the time" he had passed 25 years before.
My mam is actively dying and in ICU now from colon cancer.. she imagined her pet cat and was stroking it with her hands and also put her arms up to the roof. She is constantly thirsty and they have to dab her mouth with a moist wipe. Just waiting on the call and I'm absolutely terrified. For anyone experiencing this I'm so sorry and know that you aren't alone.
My mom saw plenty of our dead relatives, and she said she kept calling heaven but all the lines were busy with angels on the phones.she said she had a certificate give.to her by my niece to get into the Golden Gates, and my 19 year old nephew who passed away was going to be in the bus to come pick her up. She also said she was playing with her grandson, who by the way wasn't born yet. The day she passed I was in the hospital room with her,sadly I was sleeping when she left this world 15 minutes before I awoke.😢 ,the next day my niece had the grandson that I strongly believe she was playing with a few days earlier, that we couldn't see. Muss you everyday Mom.love you always, we'll see each other someday.😊❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Has anyone read surah waqiah in the holy quran with translation? It has the clue
That has Been a thing for 2-3 years. Did not know terminal diagnosis started 2 yrs ago
https://youtube.com/shorts/5pIkClPK1jc?si=hE8R7JG20YOON7bq
What that is is your brain is dying it's reliving all the past memories that are in there sort of like a video recorder
I e seen all of those. 35 years in nursing, half of it in Geriatric care. I really do believe someone they love comes to get them. You just have to be there a time or two to know something really is happening.
I totally believe all of this. Anyone that has been with a loved one in their last days will witness this. My question is????Do bad people get the same way or welcome?
I have a few pets up there I want to see when I get there, knowing eternity with them is going to be amazing, thank you Jesus for loving animals too🐾
When my mom was sick and on hospice. I prayed, God, I don't even know what to pray, but if you are going to take my mom, please take her gently, and Jesus, please make sure it's your hand she takes.
Within the next day or two, after praying that prayer, I got to witness Jesus taking my mom's hand. My mom laid in her bed several days, never moving at all.The day she passed, we all saw her reach up for Jesus's hand. I think that was Gods way of letting me know she is with me.
Wow I'm cryin
Memories
My husband just passed and he reached out with his hands but it was in a very fast jerking motion toward his knees that were bent. Very spasmatic looking. He did it twice. Is that the same thing? I really need to know.
Bestie was raising his back scratcher like a royal king ruling the land.
Also, he thought I had a complete stack of doughnut boxes, but only one box that I got him.
Death and birth is god's willing. I don't think this should be announced like this. We used this screens of mobile and tv for entertainment. Not for having bad memories. We all know truth. But don't want others to tell us liek this. We all feel irritating to watch this kind of things.
I could witness the same with my mom and my grandma. Since then I always been asked from my friend: do you see dead people or animals when I was close to death by myself which happened twice the last 3 years.