Making an end-of-life decision is not an easy one to make. Usually, it comes after a very long protracted battle against an illness. The brain may want to keep fighting the good fight, but the body sometimes has to tell the brain, “Enough.” It’s sad, and some people feel like the person gave up – though they aren’t in the terminally-ill person’s body. Then there are the matters of last wishes, especially when the person is still coherent enough to understand. This video is one of those such moments.
Rebane Chilli was a 49-year-old woman who had made the most difficult decision to stop treatment for her cancer. There was one final wish that she had before she died – to see her dog for the last time. The hospital granted her wish, and the video shows her in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask. The dog, looking like a whippet mix, eagerly comes over the bedside while a lot of hospital staff stand around watching this.
The dog immediately starts smothering Chilli with loving licks. It’s like he knows that she’s not going to be around for much longer – perhaps he smells something going on in her body, since their sense of smell is so much stronger than ours. He is determined to give her the best send-off possible. Chilli’s husband is also there with the dog, encouraging this interaction. I hope she left this world with a smile on her face.
Initially, I wavered about this. – I remember what it was like watching my own mother in hospice care, but then the sheer love of the dog and all the emotions of the hospital staff who were gathered around to watch this won out. It’s sad, but it’s also uplifting to know that this woman, who was about to die at such a young age, got to hold her dog one last time before passing. Not everyone gets a chance like that and something like this should be treasured.
I though Chilli was right to go out on her own terms. This was a sad but sweet goodbye… hopefully they will see each other again not too long from now. What are your thoughts? We’d love to hear them in the comments section. Also, please “Like” us on Facebook.
