A doctor has shared the reason why he searches the Facebook profiles of patients who have just died.
Doctor Louis M. Profeta is an emergency physician in an American hospital. He always tries to find recently deceased patients' Facebook profiles before he breaks the news of their death to their parents.
He says it's because he wants to "peek inside" their "once-living world".
He told LinkedIn "You see, I’m about to change their lives — your mom and dad, that is. In about five minutes, they will never be the same, they will never be happy again."
"There’s no motion, no life, nothing to tell me you once had dreams or aspirations. I owe it to them to learn just a bit about you before I go in."
"So I pick up your faded picture of your driver’s license and click on my iPhone, flip to Facebook and search your name. Chances are we’ll have one mutual friend somewhere. I know a lot of people."
"You’re kind of lucky that you don’t have to see it." he continues. "Dad screaming your name over and over, mom pulling her hair out, curled up on the floor with her hand over her head as if she’s trying to protect herself from unseen blows."
He finishes by explaining that he checks their Facebook page before telling parents of their child's death, because it reminds him that they are a person, someone that they love.
