Death is a topic we often shy away from, yet it is an inevitable part of our existence. The experience is profoundly challenging for the loved ones left behind, and no amount of preparation can truly brace them for the final words of someone they care deeply about.
On Reddit, individuals have shared a range of real-life accounts detailing the last things people said on their deathbeds. These stories reveal everything from unsettling secrets to touching pieces of advice. You won't believe the chilling things these individuals expressed in their final moments are nothing short of astonishing.
1. Final Words
User account U/ParaMagnetik said: "My grandmother and my great-grandmother raised me. My grandmother passed from a swift, but rather an extremely painful battle with pancreatic cancer which happened many years ago. I was 21 years old when I was married to my wife for two years by that point. The last words that my grandmother ever said to me broke my heart. She said, 'Don’t trust that wife of yours, darling.'
Cut to the present after 7 years, when we were close to our ninth anniversary and second child with my wife who has never winked for even a moment in her love for me…However, it has been difficult to reflect back and dwell on the fact that my grandmother truly felt that way about my wife."
2. From Womb Till The Tomb
Somebody with the username U/afrocanadian mentioned that: 'I am neither a nurse nor a doctor but I do have the right story to answer this question with. My grandfather's last words when I was sitting with him in the hospital were:
"Heh, you know, I enjoyed every minute of my life from the womb until the tomb. Maybe I will enjoy the other side just as much!"
What an epic way to go out!'
3. Your Last Wish Shall Be Granted
Someone on a reddit account with username U/Itsmefornow2 said: "There was a man once I cared for who was in the hospital for his cancer. He was partially paralyzed from the waist down. I went to his room because he was quite sad and emotional. I sat beside him and let him speak. He also said that he was tired of living and did not want to be in the hospital.
During the end of the conversation he said, 'I wish a train would pass by.' 10 minutes after my shift was completed, he passed away. It was not so obvious and still isn't for what caused him to go right then. For all we know, he couldn’t get to the train, so the train got him.
4. Next To the Message
Somebody with the username U/FightFire spoke about: "I am not a medical professional but I worked as an EMS for a while and worked on many deadly car accidents. Once, a victim of a car wreck looked me in the eyes and had just extricated her from the vehicle and said 'Tell my daughter.'
Immediately after that, she lost consciousness and I told her 13 year old daughter that 'Mommy said she loved you very much before she passed.'
5. Being Absolutely Honest
User account U/ResponsibleCloud92 said: "There was once a patient who was absolutely fine but when I came back next night, they were taking turns for the worse. The wife told me that they had a good life together as they were married for the past 40-50 years.
I told them although the patient was unconscious, they could still hear. So, I encouraged the family to keep talking to them and tell them everything they wanted to say before it gets too late. Later on around 4 am, the wife asked me if it was time and I gave her honest feedback. She then went inconsolable, clutching the patient's hand.
She continued crying and said she was not ready to say goodbye and had many plans to live out. After 15 minutes, the patient passed away."
6. Not Backing Off
Somebody with the username U/Naranjo96 mentioned that: "My grandma had a solid life. She was always physically and emotionally hurt because of my grandfather. Later when she started showing early signs of Alzheimer’s, then my grandpa turned up the dial-and started kneeing her and pinching her. Then we took her in during her last months. A few days before her passing, my grandpa came visiting and pinched her cheeks and messed with her, expecting no resistance.
Nonetheless, she had a moment of clarity and snapped. She swatted away his hand and shouted, 'Stop it. I’m sick of you and your ways. Go, leave, now. I don’t ever want to see you again, not ever.'
She was always a sweet and happy woman and watching her stand up for herself at last always makes me smile."
7. A Sad Vision to See
Someone on a reddit account with username U/xts2500 said: "Once a man witnessed his own heart stop and was having an arrhythmia. I’ll save you from some horrid details but overall, I had the defib turned towards him in the ambulance.
He was looking at the monitor when I treated him and his heart stopped cold and he looked at me while panicking and kept his hand on my knee and got down. Man witnessed his own heart stop when he passed."
8. A Jolly Life
Somebody with the username U/gankaskon spoke about: "My grandfather asked us to come into his bedroom as he was going to sleep after his celebrated his birthday party. After we all went into his room, he said calmly: 'I think I have had enough as 92 years is plenty and I will not make it till the morning. I love each one of you, and you made my life a joyous one. Good night all of you'
We thought he was losing it but he actually did not wake up in the morning and completely called it."
9. An Awful Feeling
User account U/lokisee said: "I work as a nurse at a local hospital. I have a lot of patients who have come over the years and exactly say the same thing before they die: 'I just don't feel good' and BAM! They are gone. Once there was a memory that bothers me the most is a guy who was having a big heart attack.
It was quite hectic and my partner and I were trying to get some information. For whatever reason, we kept forgetting his first name.
We kept asking for 3-4 times as he looked me straight in the eyes and said, 'You guys really don’t listen to each other, do you?' Cue instant seizure, coma, v tach, and passing. I felt absolutely terrible about that one."
10. Without Any Complications
Somebody with the username U/PancakesandMaggots mentioned that: "My great grandfather was in his mid-90s when he passed away. His health was always good but a benign tumor that was deemed too dangerous to operate on at his age went septic…there was a falling out between him and my grandma several years before, so we stopped seeing them…I constantly ran into my great-grandpa at the store, and we always had nice chats.
During the week when he began to sense that he was coming down with an illness, he realized that something wasn’t quite right. As a result, he took proactive steps to ensure that my great-grandmother was admitted to a nursing home. He had been dedicated to caring for her throughout her battle with Alzheimer’s, and he was determined not to leave this world until he was certain she was well cared for. Their marriage had spanned more than 70 years, a testament to their deep bond and commitment to one another.
11. Divulging The Innocence
Someone on a reddit account with username U/BluedGans said: "We had a mid-level suspect under our radar for a series of cargo thefts and heists. He was quite provocative in his interactions with us, frequently taunting and challenging our efforts. However, before we could solidify our case against him, lung cancer took hold and his condition worsened. Just before he was moved to hospice care, we visited him at his home. During this visit, he made a peculiar request: “If I give you some information, will you hold onto it for a few weeks?”
He confessed his intent to participate in the criminal activities and provided crucial details about the true culprits, naming 5 to 6 individuals and pointing us towards concrete evidence that would link them to the crimes. When I asked him why he chose to disclose this information, he explained that the other person involved "never treated anybody right." I kept the information confidential for about three weeks, waiting until after the informant had passed away before disclosing it. Throughout this process, I was careful never to reveal the source of the information."
12. Getting His Name Cleared
Somebody with the username U/whitneywestmoreland spoke about: Somebody with the username U/MotorPossible6796 spoke about: "My uncle was a heavy drinker and was known from being crazy-wild who was not mentally unwell, although I suspected the latter was also true. After a family party, the next morning we found a mattress in the house reeking of pee.
No one knew who was the culprit and he was blamed naturally but he denied it. However, his last words were, "It wasn't me who peed the bed."
It clearly bothered him for years that he had been blamed for that, which was a minor thing compared to the many other things he had done!"
13. An Unconventional Story
User account U/NotAnEarthwormYet said: "During her final legs, my grandmother confessed that she took somebody's life. Normally, you would think it was the pain-relief medications talking about her that were so unconventional that–it was actually believable.
We traced all her ex-husbands, partners, and any other likely candidates. Fortunately, none of them had gone missing or met any type of untimely passing. However, sometimes, I wonder about it."
14. I Am Not Your Mother
Somebody with the username U/usf_edd mentioned that: "My aunt witnessed her elder mother fall from stairs and had a shocking confession to make and said that she wasn’t my aunt’s biological mother. She told my aunt that her oldest sister was her actual mother.
The sister had gotten pregnant too young, and the mom said it was hers, which was a common way of handling it back then. She revealed it in her very last breath."
15. A Catastrophic Event
Someone on a reddit account with username U/TinktheChi said: "My husband had a cardiac arrest which required him for an ambulance. Once the ambulance arrived, I asked him if the code to open the phone was ____ he said yes and then looked up at me and said, ‘I am so sorry’. He had successful surgery, but had several strokes on the operating table and was taken off life support after seven days.
That is when I got to know about his dark secret. When I opened his phone I found out he was having an affair. The same code to his phone also opened his laptop where I found telephone recordings of him and his girlfriend, as well as screenshots of their chats. I don’t know how interesting this is, but it was certainly devastating to me."
16. Left Too Soon
Somebody with the username U/obscureposter spoke about: "There was a 29 year old patient who told me, 'I wish there was more.' and before he slept, he never woke up.
That feeling was quite spooky and dark in general about life."
17. All The Best, Charlie
The tale of this narrator goes as follows: "I work in the fields of oncology and hospice care, and tonight, we were preparing for another patient’s passing. As we went through the usual procedures, the patient fixated on an empty chair nearby. Curious, I asked her, “What are you looking at?” She responded, “Oh, it’s just Charlie! He’s waiting for me. We’re going to go together.” When I inquired further about who Charlie was, she didn’t elaborate before she passed away.
After her passing, I left the room and encountered the nurse on duty. She asked me how the patient was doing, to which I responded, “She has just passed. But something unusual occurred.” I proceeded to share with the nurse what the patient had mentioned about Charlie. The nurse’s response was a knowing nod. She explained that Charlie was the patient’s son, who had died at the age of five. The patient had been anticipating the day she would be reunited with him. It had been a recurring theme in her conversations. Now, it seemed that she had finally been reunited with Charlie, just as she had hoped."
18. Popular Last Words
Another user narrated his part of the story, where: "My father, who is 58 years old, is in the final stages of his life. We managed to bring him home just last night, and my mother, who is 55, my 37-year-old self, and our family dog, who is 5, all gathered in the bedroom to spend the night together, anticipating that he might pass away soon. When I woke up, I overheard one side of a phone conversation and then got the full story from my mom.
The phone rang, and it was the hospice nurse checking in. The nurse asked, "How is Name?" My mom replied, "We’re all still here." The nurse then inquired, "Even Name?" To which my mom confirmed, "Yes, we all slept soundly through the night." The nurse responded, "Oh, we had anticipated that he might pass away in the evening any day now."
At that moment, my dad spoke up. With a strained voice, he said, "But how can I die before I’ve exposed the poisoning you’ve been administering at the hospice center? Maybe I wouldn’t be so ill if you hadn’t made me take those sedative pills for months." He ended his statement with a fit of coughing and then fell silent.”
19. Late Night Guest
User account U/swiftblade93 said: "Four years ago, my wife tragically passed away. One night, she was driving home after spending time with an old friend when a careless driver slammed into her car at an intersection. The force of the collision sent her vehicle spinning uncontrollably until it crashed into a lamppost. Her car was reduced to a crumpled mess of metal, but despite the severe damage, I was informed that she remained alive for several minutes after the accident. In those final moments, she was trapped and unable to move, her body contorted and broken, bleeding, fully aware that she would never see me or our 4-year-old daughter again. She died before the rescue teams could extract her from the wreckage.
Tonight marked the fourth anniversary of her death, and as Miranda and I sat together watching a movie, I found my thoughts drifting back to her. Miranda fell asleep before the film reached its conclusion, though she insisted she was still awake, even though it was well past her bedtime and she clearly needed rest.
After I had settled Miranda into her room, tucked her in, and wished her goodnight, I left her room and went back to the living room. I noticed that the movie was still playing, currently showing the dramatic scene between Vader and Luke. It was at that moment that I heard an unsettling sound to my left—heavy, ragged breathing. I turned to see a sight that froze me with shock: my wife was standing there. Her form was twisted and unnatural, her appearance almost grotesque. She was dressed in the same gown she had worn on the night she died, now faded and stained with blood. Her once radiant blonde hair was matted, dirty, and disheveled, and her skin had taken on a ghostly, moonlit pallor. With a strained, choked voice, she uttered, "I don’t want to be alone…" and began to stagger towards me. I was overwhelmed with terror and unable to move or scream, simply paralyzed by the horrifying apparition before me.”
20. Astonishing Death
This person without a username goes to talk about his tale: " There was a patient who had an history of IV dr*gs use who was in the unit for a month…but developed endocarditis. It was her mother who gave her dr*gs for the very first time as well. She also did not keep in touch in her life apart from a friend who checked on her weekly.
But on her 24th birthday, we gave her some cupcakes and littles presents, hung a banner in her room, and sang happy birthday. We were not sure how she would feel…she went into cardiac arrest and died.
The next 45 minutes were spent trying to get her back and her friend arrived showing us a message she sent that day which was a picture of the cupcake, presents, and banner and said, 'I love my nurses. I don't know how to tell them, but they're the best family I've ever had.'"
21. Near Death Revelation
Somebody with the username U/nukedsporks mentioned that: "I once worked with a co-worker named 'Larry' who was in a job-site accident…he was underneath some scaffolding when it was backed into by a vehicle and collapsed on top of him. Larry was absolutely sure he was going to die. We tried to pull the scaffold off and render first aid and he kept asking to use a phone to call his wife 'Suzie'.
Later, he admitted to having multiple affairs, while looting Suzie's parents, creeping on their neighbor’s teenage daughter and doing coke with Suzie’s sister. Larry was weeping while begging for forgiveness.
He had to get 6 stitches done on his head along with bruises which was the extent of the physical injuries. However, he lost house, pick up truck, custody of his kids, and half his paycheck to child support and alimony."
22. A Legend Till the End
Someone on a reddit account with username U/COGGearOmega said: "I am no expert in the medical profession but once my grandfather was told by his medical caregivers that he would likely pass in his sleep that night. When he woke up the next day around 6 am in the morning, he looked awkwardly around the room and said: 'Wow, I am still here!' and again went back to sleep but never woke up.
My grandfather was a legend! Rest in peace, grand pa!"
23. The Real Witticism
Somebody with the username U/Caconz74 spoke about: "When my partner was diagnosed with cancer, most of his four daughters from a previous marriage somehow managed to make his illness about their own needs and feelings. As his condition progressed to the point where he required palliative care, he initially chose not to inform them because he didn’t want them to visit. After a week of this, he started feeling guilty and asked me to break the news to them. Naturally, they all showed up with their partners and children in tow. They quickly shifted blame onto me, accusing me of keeping them away from their father.
Their idea of spending time with him was to occupy the same room all day, engaging in conversations and laughter among themselves while largely ignoring him. In the final hour before he passed away, he confided in me, saying, "We should never have told them that I was dying. It would have been so much easier if they hadn’t been here, and I hate how they treat you." Then he delivered a shocking revelation: "By the way, three of them aren’t actually mine. My first wife had numerous affairs."
24. What Does That Mean?
User account U/guywithcrazyideas said: "My late grandmother's last words to the nurse on duty before she died were, 'Time is not what you think it is.' She kept repeating that phrase again and again, and passed.
The nurse pulled me aside when I came and told me that and it was weird how alert and strange her eyes were when she was repeating the same things again and again. I always wonder, till date, about what she was trying to tell us?"
25. Naughty Last Words
Somebody with the username U/PaganDreams mentioned that: "Once an old lady gave me some questionable advice. She was around 90 years old, Italian nonna who dressed up in black skirts while dripping with rosary beads and crucifixes. She was very Catholic—and yet her last words were so naughty.
She told me that, 'To be happy in life, you need three men. One for money, one for love, and one for the boom-boom-boom,'
It was quite memorable."
26. Oh Well!
Someone on a reddit account with username U/falafelwafflerofl said: "I am no doctor or nurse but I felt this story belongs here. When my mother was passing, she was trying to reach out to her mother who was deceased for more than 30 years.
She started speaking in her native language so I could understand her mother's name. But one thing she said was in English and it was, 'Oh well!' She repeated that many times and that too while laughing. I am not sure I could sum up life any better than that. Oh well! Screw cancer."
27. Feeling Very Blessed
User account U/Johnrich88 said: "I am not a medical expert, but my grandmother's last words to me were: 'I love you too.' and it was not creepy, weird, funny or anything else.
I wanted to share this story with someone and express how lucky I feel I was to have had that farewell. I know not everyone gets the opportunity to say goodbye like that."
28. No Escorts for Her
Somebody with the username U/Johnrich88 spoke about: "My wife’s grandmother, who had raised her, held a deeply ingrained belief that when someone is nearing the end of their life, their deceased relatives would come to guide them to heaven. Despite this comforting notion, she was widely regarded as a rather unpleasant individual.
As she lay on her deathbed, her final words, spoken in a frightened and barely audible voice, were, 'They are not coming.'"
29. Doing The Right Thing
Somebody with the username U/Beezo514 mentioned that: "My mother works as a nurse, and she was present in my grandmother's hospital room when something unexpected happened. My grandmother, who had been in a coma, suddenly awakened and exclaimed, "Oh God, it felt like I was in a coffin. How terrible!"
After making this unsettling comment, she closed her eyes once more and fell silent. She passed away about an hour after that. Considering her final words, we felt compelled to make changes to her funeral plans. We decided to opt for cremation rather than burial, believing it was the most appropriate choice given her apparent distress about being confined."
30. Eat’em Your Greens
Someone on a reddit account with username U/ingerale333 said: "Many years back, one day when me and my family were having our dinner together, my grandfather suddenly told me to 'Eat my green beans,' and then moments later passed away.
It was so out of the blue without any warning signs. It was a tragic yet a shocking experience for us to have been through. Although let's just say, I eat the heck out of my green beans to this day."
