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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