For many families, the last days of a loved one’s life can feel overwhelming. Questions swirl: What will it be like? Will they be in pain? How will we know when the end is near?
Julie McFadden, a California hospice nurse with more than 16 years of experience, has devoted her career to answering those questions with honesty and compassion. Known affectionately as “Nurse Julie” to her 1.7 million social media followers, she has become one of the most recognized voices in end-of-life education. Her mission is simple: to remove fear, replace it with understanding, and show people that death is not something to dread — but a natural part of life.
Helping Families Face the Unknown
In her book, Nothing to Fear: Demystifying Death to Live More Fully, Julie shares insights gathered from years of sitting at the bedside of the dying. She explains that while each passing is unique, there are patterns that occur so often that families can feel reassured when they recognize them.
Speaking recently on the Dr. Karan Explores podcast, she shared a remarkable truth: some people seem to have an extraordinary sense of control over when they will die.
“I’ve literally had patients say, ‘I’m going to die tonight’—and even though they weren’t actively dying at the time, they did,” Julie said. Others, she explained, will hold on until a birthday, holiday, or the arrival of a distant family member.
But when death does draw near, she says there are three signs she sees most often within the last 24 hours.
